FoodChain Issue 121 January 2017

FoodChain Issue 121

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JAN 2017

The business of food and drink

Quality on tap

Magic Rock Brewing Co. Ltd is focusing on continuously delivering better quality beer

Industry News Kraftkar crowned as the cheese Champion of Champions

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Protected status Why EUPFN status is so important and the implications of Brexit on this scheme

World’s first frozen smoothie kits launched

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Flavour innovation centre opens in Singapore

Turbo-charged collaboration Food companies need to find transformation opportunities

FoodChain ISSUE 121

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JAN 2017

THE BUSINESS OF FOOD AND DRINK

Editor’s Welcome

Quality on tap

Magic Rock Brewing Co. Ltd is focusing on continuously delivering better quality beer

Industry News Protected status Why EUPFN status is so important and the implications of Brexit on this scheme

L Kraftkar

crowned as the cheese Champion of Champions first frozen smoothie kits launched

Turbo-charged collaboration

L World’s

L Flavour

innovation centre opens in Singapore

Food companies need to find transformation opportunities

Chairman Andrew Schofield Editor Libbie Hammond

Happy New Year!

Art Editor Fleur Daniels Advertising Design Fiona Jolliffe Staff Writers Jo Cooper Andrew Dann Joshua Younespour Profiles Manager Emma Crane Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove Sales Mauro Berini Mark Cawston Tim Eakins Darren Jolliffe Jonas Junca Dave King Theresa McDonald Rob Wagner Operations Director Philip Monument Editorial Researchers Alasdair Gamble Natalie Griffiths Mark Kafourous Kya Johnson Wendy Russell

S

o here we are with the last issue of 2016. How has this year been for you?

It’s certainly been busy at FoodChain and we are looking forward to 2017 with a new list of topics to cover and many more interesting company profiles

to share.

And we are seeing out this year with some really top-notch business stories – from Roussas Dairy and its success at the Great Taste Awards to Asahi UK and its dedication to continuously develop its brewing experience.

It’s always such a pleasure to work on FoodChain, hearing about successes, highlighting new launches and tasting marvellous new products – thank you to everyone who has helped us this year and here’s to a prosperous New Year!

Office Manager Advertising Administrator Tracy Chynoweth Follow us at:

@FoodChain_mag

Schofield Publishing Cringleford Business Centre, 10 Intwood Road, Cringleford, Norwich, NR4 6AU, U.K. T: +44 (0)1603 274130 www.foodchainmagazine.com

libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk

© 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, and correct at time of writing, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Contents 4 12 16

8 14 Features Brexit Protected status

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Customer service Going mobile, turning social

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The food and beverage industry is constantly evolving and the CRM solutions of the future will evolve in sync

The Internet of Things has the potential to transform not only individual businesses but also the entire food and beverage manufacturing industry

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In industrial automation, control and data acquisition systems, RFID has the potential to become a hugely widespread and useful technology

Post Brexit there needs to be negotiation to ensure that European Food Name Scheme continues to provide its important protection

Collaboration Turbo-charged collaboration

RFID The real benefits

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Food waste The waste factor

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Is it possible to turn food waste into something good? Charles Reilly examines the issue

News

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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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20 27 34 46 Profiles

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

Asahi UK 20

Asahi UK is considered to be unique in the UK brewing industry as it sells exclusively sells authentic, imported products

Bidvest Foodservice 27

Bidvest Foodservice prides itself on customer focus and clients really do come first for the business

Linda Lewis Kitchens 32

Celebrating a decade of success in 2016, Linda Lewis Kitchens still ensures customer satisfaction is at the top of the agenda

Magic Rock Brewing Co Ltd 34

Always keen to improve quality and deliver interesting new products, Magic Rock Brewing Co Ltd has a strategy to launch exciting beers

Starwood Hotels and Resorts 38

At present Starwood Hotels is represented by 12 luxury hotels in the UK and Ireland

MRS Packaging

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By maintaining a pioneering approach, MRS Packaging is able to introduce exciting and interesting food options to its clients

Roussas Dairy

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Having achieved major success at the Great Taste awards, Roussas is seeking to increase its international market share

Tortilla 46

Based on the vision of its founder, Tortilla offers a unique blend of Mexican and Californian dining experiences

Thai Leisure Group

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Thai Leisure Group is rapidly establishing itself with leading new brands in the restaurant sector

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Protected

status T Nicola McNeely and Jon Parker explain why EUPFN status is so important – and why it needs to be firmly on the negotiating agenda 4 www.foodchainmagazine.com

he European Protected Food Name (EUPFN) Scheme provides important protection to many household brands across the UK. Post Brexit, there will be some negotiating to do to ensure that this protection is upheld – and that it continues to be available.

Many regional food products around the UK and Europe are protected under the European Protected Food Name (EUPFN) Scheme. Introduced predominantly to protect food and drink products on a geographical or recipe basis, EUPFN provides significant

Nicola McNeely

benefits to those involved in the product – from manufacturing to distribution to selling.

Post Brexit, this protection – both for existing designations and future ones – could be under threat.

Essentially, all PFN legislation is EU regulated. EU regulations aren’t translated into EU law – EU member states simply apply these directives to our own laws, which is why they can differ country to country. If a complete Brexit means we divorce ourselves from the ability to use directives from EU law, it raises questions about the continuity of PFN.

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Brexit

The problem, then, in the current post-Brexit uncertainty, is the question of how a UK exit from the EU could affect products – both current and future – that have, or seek, PFN status

or sourcing of the raw materials can take place outside the geographical area. The product can be produced or processed or prepared in a specific area.

Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) The product is made to a traditional recipe or production method but is not linked to a specific area.

There are three types of EUPFN categories, and each one has a slightly different meaning – affording different protection and regulation:

Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) All aspects of production including sourcing of the materials, must take place in the geographical area. The product is produced, processed and prepared in a specific area.

Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Some elements of production and/

Some of the UK’s most well known household brands are protected by EUPFN status. Stilton Blue Cheese or Cornish Clotted Cream, for example, benefit from PDO, as does Anglesey Sea Salt (Halen Môn). Similarly, Pembrokeshire Early Potatoes and Welsh beef and lamb are registered as PGI. It is important to uphold and continue EUPFN, in whatever capacity that may be post-Brexit, for two key reasons.

Firstly, EUPFN status affords legal protection against misuse, imitation and fraud to any products covered by it. So, for example, a manufacturer wouldn’t be able to produce Stilton cheese – and market it as such – unless it complied with the specific regulations that the product is moderated by. From a financial perspective, this means that producers of an original product have a monopoly over it if they have a designated PFN. Parma ham, for example, or Champagne, can’t be labelled and sold under those names, unless they fulfil the necessary criteria.

Secondly, EUPFN status underlines and highlights the provenance of certain products. For Wales, there is a huge benefit to the local tourism industry that goes hand in hand with the increased brand awareness of Welsh provenance as a result of EUPFN products.

Having worked on PFN’s in both the Welsh Development Agency and Welsh Government, Jon Parker (now Director of development company, CamNesa), explains his experience of how PFN’s have benefited Welsh produce: “Following the early designations for Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef to PGI status, we have continued to add to these with notable products such as Pembrokeshire Early Potatoes, Halen Môn – Anglesey Sea Salt and, most recently, Carmarthen Ham. There have been clear financial and promotional benefits to designation of Welsh products, as well as the protection afforded to product imitation.”

When asked about the importance of Halen Môn’s PDO, co-founder Alison Lea-Wilson, said: “We sought PDO status for our product not only to provide protection to our sea salt and brand, but to underline the provenance of the product of which we are extremely proud. The uncertainty of Brexit means that while we still have our trade mark for Halen Môn, the retraction of PDO as a mark recognised in so many target markets would be huge loss.”

Welsh Lamb and Beef PGI designations are important to the industry supply chain, both from a financial export perspective, and the prestige that association with fresh, local produce affords.

Simon James, Managing Director at Edwards of Conwy, said: “We have used the PGI status of Welsh Lamb and Beef throughout our product range, within both our Conwy butchers shop and our retail product range. We’ve found that consumers have grown to recognise and understand the value of the status over the years and it is an important indicator of provenance for our products.”

The problem, then, in the current post-Brexit uncertainty, is the question

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Brexit of how a UK exit from the EU could affect products – both current and future – that have, or seek, PFN status.

In Brexit talks, several things must be considered with regard to PFNs.

Intellectual property Nicola McNeely, a Partner at Capital Law, said: “Firstly, we need to think about those products that currently have existing PFN status. Under the current law, PFN status is infinite. The protection goes on indefinitely once it’s been granted by the EU, although it must be inspected at least once every three years by a nominated inspection body. How will this protection continue if the UK departs from the EU – or will/can designations be withdrawn?

“Secondly, we need to consider the potential implications for future PFN products. As the UK is still part of the EU, those wishing to can still apply for PFN. But, as the process takes

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four years to complete, many may be wondering if it is worth putting the money behind something that could be uncertain in the future. It will need to be decided to what extent will the UK be eligible to apply for PFN if it is no longer part of the EU. “Currently, the only PFN that has come from outside the EU is Colombian Coffee. This is an interesting example, and one that could be considered a benchmark for future UK based PFNs. Colombia and the EU have a reciprocal agreement with regard to the protection of products – which could be an interesting position for the UK to take post Brexit. However, in this case, the application took five years to go through, which suggests there would need to be some significant negotiation on both sides.”

There are many benefits to PFN – for manufacturers, distributors and the local economies involved. We must work to

ensure that this protection and system is not lost on the UK’s exit from the EU. We need to ensure that PFN policy and regulation is not overlooked in Brexit negotiations, and that it remains at the forefront of discussion, given the high value of the commodities involved – both financially and provincially.

While we may not yet have the answers on how to maintain this system (or develop an equivalent) post Brexit, we need to ensure that people continue to think about the value of the intellectual property they have held within their products – and the protections they have with, or without, Protected Geographical Status from the EU. D Nicola McNeely is an Intellectual Property expert at Capital Law and Jon Parker is a Director at CamNesa. www.capital-law.co.uk

IndustryNews

Flavour Innovation Centre Givaudan has invested CHF five million in an expansion of its Flavour Innovation Centre (FIC) in Singapore. The FIC is home to the Asia Pacific (APAC) campus of the Givaudan Flavour School, which is training the next generation of flavourists in the region, and the APAC Academy, which supports continuous learning.

The expanded Singapore Centre will include a new fully integrated culinary space for concept development, as well as new or expanded savoury, bakery, confectionery, beverage and dairy facilities to serve all market sectors.

The investment enhances Givaudan’s innovation capabilities in APAC, facilitating a regional focus on applied innovation, collaboration and knowledge sharing, to complement

its global network. Within the FIC Givaudan flavourists will leverage the latest ingredients and technologies to develop holistic customer solutions that can go straight to market. www.givaudan.com

Automated solution CSB-Automation AG has developed a unique load carrier system, the CSB–Hang & Move, to optimise the handling and transport of open trays of pre-packed foods.

Traditionally plastic containers are used for the intermediate storage or in-house transportation of these packs. Loading and unloading by hand requires a lot of manpower while handling the open packs creates hygiene risks.

The CSB-Hang & Move eliminates these problems through the use of a newly developed load carrier, called the Gondola, into which the

filled trays are inserted and then ejected from.

The process can be carried out semi- or fullyautomatically as required.

The loading and unloading technology of the gondolas offers enormous speed and efficiency gains: at every station, up to 120 packs can be loaded and unloaded in one minute. Combined with complementary conveyor systems, this creates a powerful transport, storage and sorting system that substantially reduces manpower requirements.

For further processing, such as sealing, the trays are simply pushed out, and the Gondola is ready for the next load.

As a result, considerably fewer staff are required and utilisation of the packaging machine’s capacities is improved.

In addition, work steps can be more easily separated. For example, filling and sealing operations can work independently of each other and in this way achieve much higher outputs.

The system offers improved hygienic conditions of sensitive meat products, while the gondolas have unique IDs so that traceability and stock management are maintained at all times. www.csb.com

Prevent product contamination BOGE Compressors has published a new white paper on the use of compressed air in food and beverage manufacturing applications. The guide, which is titled: Satisfying the appetite for clean air, is available as a free download from the BOGE website.

Mark Whitmore, General Manager at BOGE, explained: “Due to the potentially devastating impact on human health of food and drink contamination, the use of compressed air in food and beverage manufacture is tightly controlled and heavily legislated. With our new guide, manufacturers can overcome the challenges associated with compressed air in food and beverage production, so they can have peace of mind that products are contamination-free, there is no risk to consumers and their operations are compliant with industry regulations.”

BOGE’s guide provides readers with a detailed explanation of the different types of contamination that can affect food and drink products, as well as exploring the possible consequences of this occurring. It then goes on to provide a comprehensive overview of the best practice guidelines and standards to follow to prevent food safety hazards and ensure compliance with industry regulations and safeguard the health of consumers. www.boge.co.uk

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Going mobile, turning social Mobile and social features are increasing the potential of Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Solutions are becoming more intuitive and easier to integrate.

Matt Keenan explains how the food and beverage industry could benefit

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Customer Service

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he modern business environment would be inconceivable without Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

Software solutions that analyse and improve the interactions between a company and its customers have become a core part of many companies’ day-to-day operations. Worldwide, businesses are spending $12 billion each year on such solutions, says Gartner – clearly indicating how widely used CRM has become.

Food and beverage is one of the UK’s fastest moving, most dynamic industries: market trends can change rapidly, and the desires and tastes of customers can be difficult to predict. To stay ahead of the game, companies need to adapt to trends and changes with great speed and agility. Data collection, aggregation and analysis are crucial.

This can be a real challenge, however. If the right tools and processes are not in place, it can be difficult for companies in the sector to capture, manage, and quickly resolve customer service and support requests. Valuable data can get lost. Insights might not get shared. As a result, both productivity and efficiency can suffer.

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Customer Service CRM solutions have been designed to store data in a central, accessible place – helping companies to reduce the amount of time it takes to win business, improve marketing efforts, and create stronger, more data-driven relationships, closely connecting food and beverage companies with their customers.

This is the case even more if you take into account how much the functionality of CRM solutions has widened, recently.

In a hyper-connected world, CRM is acquiring new features, with two trends standing out in particular: CRM is going mobile, and CRM is turning social. Both these trends are likely to make CRM solutions even more attractive to the food and beverage industry.

The mobile features that are being integrated by a growing number of CRM providers right now are allowing users to use their solutions on the go – on phones, tablets, or other devices. The technology enables a more connected workforce – more readily available to customers as well as available to sales management and sales support teams.

Mobile features provide users with access to real-time data and content.

When, in the past, sales representatives often had to get back to customers or prospects about questions they were asked – now a few clicks can be sufficient to access pricing information or product availability. Additionally, embedded within mobile CRM solutions, real time analytics can be used to improve user acquisition strategies.

Campaigns become much more targeted, messages can be fine-tuned.

Push and in-app notifications are possible. Dashboards present the right information – in the most useful way.

On the move Mobile CRM solutions also help to enable delivery of real time content as well. Users no longer need to rely on static, old-fashioned slideshows, which can easily go out of date and are difficult to update. Today’s mobile CRM solutions allow for up-to-date customer purchase history or marketing collateral to get pulled up on phones and tablets instead. Based strictly on information that’s relevant to the customer that a user is engaging with, mobile CRM

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presentations allow for a much more intimate and personalised way of communicating.

Modern mobile solutions can also register actions taken during a meeting – providing valuable data for follow-ups, or an analysis of what has worked and what hasn’t worked. If location tracking is enabled, real efficiencies for the user can be gained by mapping optimal routes to customer and prospect locations.

Recent years have seen a blurring of the lines between personal and professional personas and social networks have accelerated this trend.

The deep integration of CRM solutions with social media is opening new possibilities to determine important relationships, find new contacts, and identify buying signals.

Social CRM solutions can connect seamlessly into social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn where it’s easier than ever to gather hints on customer wishes and desires. With a modern CRM solution, such data can feed directly into your customer and contact profiles and create a richer overall profile with data regarding preferences, interests, behaviour and affiliations. These enhanced profiles enable deeper levels of user segmentation, which opens ways for much more personalised interactions.

One of the newest, most exciting prospects of social CRM features is demographic profiling and prediction.

Similar to consumer websites that showcase ‘Customers who have bought this, have also looked at’ features on the web, profiling and prediction functions open up new possibilities for CRM users by prioritising leads and opportunities based upon successes from similar customers. Social CRM tools provide a deeper customer profile and enable more effective predictions.

The combination of mobile and social features will provide users with CRM solutions that are not just a tool or software program, but work much more like a mentor or coach. In the recent past, the user-friendliness of CRM solutions has been perceived as inferior when compared to the technologies of everyday consumer life, such as apps on smart phones. With mobile and social

features coming into their own, this perception is changing rapidly. As they become more and more intuitive, CRM solutions will become more adopted and integrated in unforeseen ways.

More user-friendly More intuitive and user-friendly solutions eliminate the need for lengthy training cycles to learn how to use a system. Extensive manuals or training course are increasingly becoming obsolete. This also means that employees who are not yet using a CRM system will be much more inclined to try.

When, in the past, solutions could be seen as difficult-to-use specialist tools for a selected elite, they now have the potential to become company-wide platforms for more efficient interaction between customers and the company, between off-site staff and those that are based in the office, and between departments.

The food and beverage industry is constantly evolving and the CRM solutions of the future will evolve in sync. Companies that employ such solutions effectively will be able to move faster, adapt quicker, and respond to changing customer needs and behaviours not merely as they slowly filter through complicated, slow, nonmobile systems – but as they happen.

As a result, companies will be able to make much more proactive and impactful business decisions and respond to consumer needs in a way that will allow them to stay ahead of the game. D Matt Keenan is Senior Vice President of CRM at Aptean.

Aptean is a leading provider of mission critical enterprise software solutions. It builds and acquires industry-focused solutions to support the evolving operational needs of its customers. Its solutions help nearly 6500 organisations stay at the forefront of their industries by enabling them to operate more efficiently, thereby ensuring higher customer satisfaction. www.aptean.com

IndustryNews Real nutrition in an instant

Champion of Champions

PACK’D is on a mission to change the way health drinks are consumed, with a new and improved way to get a smoothie fix in under a minute. Forget spending hours peeling your fruit and veg, PACK’D bring the ultimate in convenience: the world’s first Frozen Smoothie Kits with functional nutrition. Designed with nutritionist to the (sporting) stars, Matt Lovell, each original recipe contains six precisely portioned, flash-frozen fruit and veg, as well as a blend of four superfood boosters to deliver an added source of real, targeted nutrition. All that’s left to do is add your choice of liquid (think coconut water, almond milk, juice or keep it simple with water) and blend!

Whether you’re after a post-gym hit, a morning boost or a healthy dessert, with the range of three functional PACK’D kits you can see exactly what you’re blending, without the hassle of buying and prepping ingredients or scouring overly complicated ingredient lists. And better yet, they’re frozen, so you don’t need to worry about hidden preservatives, adding ice or wasting any precious food.

Available in three combinations: ENERGY, DETOX and DEFENSE (RRP £3.50 per 2x140g portioned pack) PACK’D smoothies give a well-needed lift to your daily nutrition, bolstering you to fuel your potential. The ingredient list is packed with colour and vitality, with a rainbow of ingredients from earthy spinach and kale to cleansing papaya and uplifting pineapple. You’ll see nutrient-dense goji berries, baobab and spirulina on the superfood checklist, carefully balanced to offer you a boost where most needed, whether you’re looking for more energy, cleansing after a heavy festive period or to protect yourself against the dreaded winter’s cold. www.packd.co.uk

Now in its 29th year, the World Cheese Awards held its first ever Champion of Champions event at the Kursaal Congress Centre in San Sebastián on Thursday 17 November, with this unprecedented honour going to Kraftkar, made by Norwegian producer Tingvollost. Featuring a tantalising line up of all previous winners, this unique spectacle was a celebration of the heritage and diversity of the largest cheese-only awards scheme on the planet, with the spoils going to Kraftkar, which was crowned World Champion Cheese 2016 the previous day.

Taking place on day two of the International Cheese Festival, curd nerds from every corner of the globe gathered to watch a panel of renowned cheese experts, representing Australia, the Basque Country, France, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, the USA and the UK, taste, nose and assess this unparalleled field of world champions.

Heralded as ‘the best cheese ever made’, Kraftkar blew the international panel of judges away once more, with Ossau Iraty from Fromagerie Agour in France coming second and Le Gruyère AOP Premier Cru from Cremo SA von Mühlenen in Switzerland placed third. www.internationalcheesefestival.eus

Top marks Natural food ingredient producer EDME has reason to celebrate. The company has just been given the highest possible marks for an announced audit in the British Retail Consortium’s global food standard award.

Quality manager Renata Faldo co-ordinated the process from start to finish, holding everyone to account and ensuring the company achieved its best ever grading.

“Everybody takes for granted that food bought from supermarkets will be good quality - and safe,” says Renata. “They aren’t necessarily thinking about the supply chain as they stack their trolleys. However, they are reliant on strict standards held by all those who handle the food at any point in its production or packaging.

“Since we’re using raw materials that often arrive straight from the fields, our grain cleaning processes are critical. But so is every other part of the processing, packaging, storing and distributing. You’re only as good as your weakest link, so the challenge is to eliminate any weak links and to be alert to risks.

“To achieve an AA rating, there has to be an open culture, where team members work together to identify potential problems and support each other in putting things right. Quality control has to be on going, continual and rigorous - and the responsibility of every single person in the organisation: not just the domain of one department.

“The award belongs to the whole EDME team. And it vindicates the trust put in us by our bakery and food producing customers; the supermarkets who stock their products - and the consumers who buy bread and other foods containing our flours and flakes!” www.edme.com

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Turbo-charged

collaboration W The impact of the Internet of Things and network-centred thinking for food manufacturers. By Mike Edgett 12 www.foodchainmagazine.com

hen the term ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) started gaining greater awareness, at first glance it seemed like business as usual for food and beverage manufacturers.

Food manufacturers have been monitoring, measuring and responding to manufacturing metrics throughout the plant as the core of quality control for decades. Data points such as oven temperatures, refrigeration timings, vat sizes and ingredient weights have been commonplace for years. But when applied to the entire supply chain, IoT has the potential to transform not only

Mike Edgett

an individual business but also the entire food and beverage manufacturing industry.

As food companies continually reassess their readiness for meeting regulations and new compliance demands, one important aspect is collaboration with their vendors, partners and customers. Companies need to be able to demonstrate solid preventative procedures that manage metrics throughout the supply chain.

Traceability is more than knowing where a product came from and where it went but also the parameters by which it was transported and stored.

‘

Therefore, while the Internet of Things will undoubtedly impact many aspects of manufacturing, supply chain management and logistics, it could hold some of the greatest potential in delivering this collaboration as the technologies available increase, exponentially, the amount of information available to manufacturers and supply chain partners.

Scanners, barcodes and GPS tracking devices are already being used to monitor the movement of goods in the warehouse and on trucks to customers.

A recent survey indicated that 35 per cent of manufacturers currently collect and use data generated by smart devices to enhance manufacturing/ operating processes, and an additional 17 per cent plan to do so in the next three years. This opens up the possibility of the goods themselves being a source of collaboration, rather than just the people or organisations associated with those goods.

Automated tracking reduces the risk of human error and makes the associated decision making processes quicker. In the case of global supply chains for food manufacture, this can deliver substantial competitive advantage.

And these moments of collaboration are no longer limited to the meeting room or the boardroom. The continued adoption of mobility is changing some of the core capabilities of IoT. Manufacturing leaders can’t be tethered to their offices, desk and PCs. They walk the plant floor. They make decisions onsite, in the heart of the operation.

They need 24/7 access to critical data and systems from remote locations throughout the supply chain. IoT can deliver this data – and analysis – direct to the decision makers.

The barriers to progress There are of course, some barriers to delivering this level of collaboration.

While the technology has improved and the cost has decreased to collect data in a manufacturing plant and beyond, the data is often underutilised. The value of IoT can only be achieved by eliminating silos and getting disparate systems (or indeed, departments) to communicate.

Collaboration

Food and beverage manufacturers, like every other business, exist within a sophisticated network of partners, suppliers, customers and stakeholders. Success is dependent on how those relationships are managed and the collaboration that results After all, data is meaningless if it is stored in silos and if it lacks the full dimension of context.

With real-time access available to easily monitor the details of the complete manufacturing operation – within the four walls and beyond – a company can begin to see real value. Interoperability is the key word here, though, it is more than simple integration. Data must be able to be consumed in context and used for event triggers and actions. This must be accompanied by a change in culture that values collaboration and delivers the visibility to see how each partner contributes the end result.

The rise of the network If all this suggests a dethroning of the idea that everything needed for collaboration is within a company, then that is precisely because that is what is happening. In the modern world, upwards of 80 per cent of the data a company needs to function and grown is outside of that company.

Food and beverage manufacturers, like every other business, exist within a sophisticated network of partners, suppliers, customers and stakeholders. Success is dependent on how those relationships are managed and the collaboration that results.

The role of IoT technologies in this digital transformation of supply chains within the food and beverage industry will be profound. In a recent GT Nexus/Cap Gemini survey, 75 per cent of respondents said that digital transformation of the supply chain is ‘important or very important’ and 70 per cent said they had projects underway. There is a drastic change in how businesses (including food manufacturers) collaborate, on the horizon.

The same survey found that today only 23 per cent of respondents said that the majority of data from the extended supply chain is analysed and used for decision-making. In five years, that number jumps to 68 per cent. This demonstrates how quickly much of this is changing and how the future is a bit unpredictable except for the obvious fact that data and IT will continue to be the driver for competitive differentiation.

The need to be able to quickly respond and collaborate effectively is one of the reasons that more food manufacturing companies are looking to move more of their core IT solutions to the cloud. Flexibility, speed of deployment and improved security are all fundamental requirements to be able to embrace the value of IoT. The challenge for food and beverage companies, therefore, lies not in defining one IoT vision but understanding where the biggest transformation opportunities are. Every company has a different set of needs and potential improvements, so the requirement is to define a roadmap for how to turn their data into meaningful actions. The goal is not to collect as much data as possible, but in setting a data strategy that can have the greatest positive impact on a company’s future by recognising that the company exists in a collaborative network. D Mike Edgett is industry and solution strategy director, process manufacturing, Infor. He is a business strategy executive with global B2B experience in diverse industries. He is responsible for the Infor marketing message and strategic direction in the Food, Beverage, Chemicals and Life Sciences markets. www.infor.com

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The real

benefits Jonathan Wilkins takes a look at the applications of RFID and the real benefits the technology holds for industry 14 www.foodchainmagazine.com

W

hat do the jerrycan, the jet engine, penicillin and radio frequency identification (RFID) have in common? They were all developed during World War II and, unlike many other inventions of the time, are still commonly used today.

RFID is the technology that allows data to be transmitted via radio waves on the electromagnetic spectrum, with the purpose of automatically identifying and differentiating physical objects. One

Jonathan Wilkins

of the most fundamental reasons for RFID’s success is the straightforward technology it relies on. In fact, RFID is so far-reaching that most of us use it in our daily lives. From our sophisticated smart phones and mobiles, to something as simple as electronic passports, automatic tollbooths or even our car keys, RFID has found its way into almost every aspect of our daily routine.

The fundamental technology that underpins RFID has its origins in the

RFID espionage tactics of World War II, when Russian inventor Leon Theremin created what is considered to be the predecessor of RFID technology. His ‘clandestine listening device’ remained passive until activated by radio waves from an outside source, in much the same way that some RFID tags still work today. Similarly, during the Second World War, aeroplanes were fitted with transponders that would reply to interrogation signals, identifying the machines as friend or foe.

Huge potential

Whether it’s intelligent factories, keyless ignition for your car or moisturesensing diapers, RFID technology has enormous potential for both consumer and business environments

Although RFID is still used in the aerospace and defence sectors, it has long since crossed the boundary into other segments of society, including security, retail and the supply chain.

RFID is commonly used for a multitude of applications, from asset identification to tracking, access control and management. By implementing a complete RFID system, it’s easy to have real-time, accurate visibility of all assets within the radio frequency range, which creates endless possibilities for data monitoring and acquisition.

No doubt about it, there is huge potential for RFID. However, before it can be effectively utilised for any application, the system must be able to communicate with other hardware and software devices. In the Internetof-Everything and smart factories, the ultimate goal of RFID technology is for equipment to be able to act independently on the information it receives via the technology.

Although most of the technology required for smart factories exists, there are still several hurdles to overcome before most manufacturers will be able to efficiently implement the concept. Perhaps one of the biggest issues when it comes to new technologies is the cost of implementation, maintenance and training. Few manufacturers are ready to completely revamp their manufacturing facilities, even if it could lead to increased return on investment in the long run.

Another challenge for companies considering the implementation of

RFID technology is standardisation.

The frequencies used in the US, for example, are incompatible with those used in Europe or Asia. Unfortunately, the emergence of a universal standard has yet to take place.

Standards are normally developed and issued by industry-specific and national or regional bodies like EPC global, the International Electrotechnical Commission or the International Standards Organisation.

A great deal of work has been going on over the past decade to develop standards for RFID frequencies and applications, but until a general set of rules is agreed on and implemented, the motivation for companies to adopt the technology will most likely stagnate.

It is also worth noting that several concerns regarding RFID technology focus on security and privacy.

Whether it’s the issue of illicit tracking, payment or e-passports, RFID systems are vulnerable to skimming and eavesdropping. Unauthorised readers could theoretically use RFID information to track or possibly intercept products.

Whether it’s intelligent factories, keyless ignition for your car or moisturesensing diapers, RFID technology has enormous potential for both consumer and business environments.

In industrial automation, control and data acquisition systems, RFID has the potential to become a hugely useful and widespread technology and complement existing control and data acquisition systems. D Jonathan Wilkins is marketing director at EU Automation. EU Automation stocks and sells new, used, refurbished and obsolete industrial automation spares. Its global network of preferred partner warehouses, and wholly owned distribution centres, enables it to offer a unique service within the automation industry, spanning the entire globe. It provides worldwide express delivery on all products meaning it can supply any part, to any destination, at very short notice. www.euautomation.com

www.foodchainmagazine.com 15

The waste

factor

Charles Reilly takes a look at how it is possible to turn food waste into something good

16 www.foodchainmagazine.com

F

ood waste is an issue that businesses throughout the food and drink industry need to take more responsibility for.

In its 2016 report, food waste charity WRAP said that food waste from the manufacturing and grocery sectors came to an incredible 1.9 million tonnes. With Sainsbury’s boss Mike Coupe speaking to the London Evening Standard recently about food waste the issue is gaining more traction, but there’s still a long way to go.

Charles Reilly

There are several factors that lead to wasted food. The precise factors that produce waste will vary by business and industry, but there are some common themes. Any attempt to reduce food waste or to do something more useful with it must start by identifying where that waste comes from.

Take retail, hospitality and foodservice industries where there’s pressure to meet the varied needs of the customer. Every business needs to provide a selection of food to keep their customers happy, from a small cafe with 100 daily customers to Sainsbury’s with 27 million customers.

Providing a range inevitably means you’ll sell more of one thing one day, then more of another the next. Whatever’s left over often ends up as waste, even if it’s perfectly fine in quality.

Food Waste There’s also a rigorous quality checking process, which many stores go through to check that the food they sell looks a certain way. This approach sees edible food that doesn’t look right being thrown away, as Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall discovered to his horror last year. The cosmetics of fruit and vegetables in particular has received attention several times over the last few years, but good food continues to be wasted.

Issues with inefficient systems and the relentless demand for fresh food means that waste is able to accumulate.

It could also be possible that you’re buying in more ingredients than you need, or stocking products that people aren’t buying.

What can be done?

Of those 1.9 million tonnes of food waste, it’s estimated that 540,000 tonnes are edible, but the problem is that this food is not getting to the people who need it.

Charities like The Felix Project in London and the nationally active FareShare act as middlemen between the food and drink industry and the charities that provide meals to people in need, but

there’s still much more scope to expand this service to more stores and further, to restaurants, manufacturers, and other businesses in the supply chain.

The redistribution of food waste doesn’t do anything for the cost of waste, but it does mean that ‘waste’ isn’t ultimately wasted. And food poverty is a real problem in the UK, with as many as 500,000 people reliant on food parcels, according to Oxfam. Redistributing food might not take away the cost of the waste, but it may see more people coming through your doors and buying your products as they see that your values are in line with their own.

However, if roughly 75 per cent of the food we waste isn’t edible, there are practical steps your business can take to reduce waste in the first place.

According to WRAP, the cost of wasted food often comes from a number of

areas such as lost margin, packaging, energy, labour and disposal costs. Taking measures to reduce your business’s waste could save you money, whatever your position in the supply chain.

The first step to reducing waste is to analyse which area of your business is creating the most. Common culprits could be inefficiency in your processes and systems, which leads to poor quality products or time delays, or a need to reassess how much stock or ingredients you buy in.

Once you’ve identified the areas losing you money, it’s important to make sure the people who work in those areas are aware of the issues and committed to solving them. If you’re staff aren’t on board, real change will be impossible.

The problem of food waste affects the whole industry, and it’s far more complex than I can address fully in this article.

Improvements will only come about from the combined efforts of businesses across the food chain. Doing so isn’t just good for society; it’s good for the bottom line too. D Charles Reilly is director at Fridgesmart. After living in Bermuda and travelling the world as a filmmaker, Charles returned to the UK in 2014 to join the 40-year-old family business and help lead its commercial operations. www.fridgesmart.co.uk

www.foodchainmagazine.com 17

TasteTest

Naturally sweet Modern Nature is a pure form of liquid stevia that can replace sugar as a sweetener, and moderates the need for sugar in baking and cooking. Modern Nature’s sweetener has zero sugar, zero calories, is naturally tasty, has no artificial or ingredients. It’s easy to use and is perfect for on the go people. www.modernnature.io

“Getting the hang of dispensing the liquid sweetener took a little

practice, but once I’d got used to it, I very much liked the natural sweetness of the Modern Nature,” commented the FoodChain tester.

“I loved the fact it was a natural alternative and has no artificial additives, and was pleased to read that it has no affect on bloody sugar or insulin levels, as I do like to take care of my health!”

The flavours of Britain Cheese lovers around Great Britain are in for a treat with the launch of a new Ilchester Mini Cheese Selection Net to shelves. Perfect for lunchboxes, family days out or simply keeping an eye on portion control, the new Ilchester Mini Cheese Selection Net contains eight delicious individually wrapped snack portions of British favourites.

With a love it or hate it Marmite cheese, as well as Mature Cheddar and Red Leicester varieties, there’s something inside to keep the whole

family happy when afternoon hunger pangs hit.

The Ilchester Mini Cheese Selection Net (145g) has an RRP of £2. www.ilchester.co.uk

“Portion control is probably the main reason I loved these – I need some help resisting cheese!” admitted our tester. “So being able to grab a couple of portions for lunch was ideal for me and I loved having the variety to choose from as well – rather than just all boring cheddar.

The jury is still out on the Marmite cheese though!”

Gourmet gifting If you’re looking for a gift for yourself, or for someone you love, Borderfields Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil gift packs, including a range of infused oils, make the ideal present! Each gift pack includes a range of delicious oils that will fit in on any gourmand’s counter top and have them desperate to get into the kitchen to try them out. From zesty lemon to spicy chilli, warming garlic and fresh basil, these oils will keep them drizzling, pouring and frying their way to culinary success throughout 2017.

With half the saturated fat of olive oil and a subtle, buttery taste, these oils make a perfect ingredient for creating delicious treats to adorn your own Christmas dinner table. With Borderfields it’s easy to rustle up

18 www.foodchainmagazine.com

roasties that are delightfully fluffy inside with a crispy, flavoursome outside that the whole family will enjoy or try out a rapeseed oil Christmas pudding for a twist on a classic. www.borderfields.co.uk

“My partner absolutely loved this set of flavoured oils and since it arrived at home we’ve had so many new and different variations of our normal meals – it’s been fantastic! Lemon oil on fish, chilli oil on chicken and basil oil on salad – such a simple way to add a bit of variety into the every day dinner decisions we all have to make. I also like dunking some bread in with a bit of balsamic – simple yet delicious.”

TasteTest

Skinny bagel Move over stodgy baguettes and heavy bread rolls, New York Bakery Co’s new Bagel Sandwich Thins are offering the taste and texture of a classic bagel but at half the size and less than 130 calories each.

These tasty new alternatives can be used as with the usual sandwich filings, or even as a base for a pizza bagel, smothered with tomato purée, cheese and your favourite toppings – all the taste of New York, without the postlunch slump.

What’s more, the Bagel Sandwich Thins are low in fat, and vegetarian and vegan friendly. www.newyorkbakeryco.com

breakfast and lunch – less heavy than a standard bagel but still distinctively ‘bagely’ (is that a word?)

“It was also wonderfully convenient that the bagels and cheeses also reviewed on this page arrived together – otherwise I would never have known to make a smoked cheese bagel – it was wonderful and something I will be having more of in the future!”

“I was so happy to see these arrive in the office – a lighter version of a bagel, and with all the taste and quality that comes from New York Bakery Co. I tried them with a variety of fillings and they worked so well for both

Give it a zing James White Drinks has added three new shots (Turmeric Juice, Lime & Chilli and Xtra Ginger) to its Zinger range. The latest additions follow the successful launch of its Organic Ginger Zinger Shot in late 2015.

A Zinger is a little (7cl) intense all natural drink designed to wake you up with Zing – a healthy alternative to sugar and caffeine loaded drinks.

James White Drinks’ founder Lawrence Mallinson is excited by his latest Zinger range, which is creating a new category for the UK drinks market. “Our new Zingers are little drinks with purpose,

naturally healthy wake up and shake up shots and more a healthy confectionary than a refreshing drink. Perfect for first thing in the morning to get the day started or anytime day or night when the juices are flagging. Fans of fiery spices are in for a real treat with something new and distinctly different to try.”

The Zinger range of four varieties is made with 100 per cent natural ingredients and no preservatives, artificial colours or flavours.

RRP of £1.49 per 7cl shot. www.jameswhite.co.uk

“These little bottles sure do pack a punch,” said our tester! “The Xtra ginger variety was my favourite – very intensely flavoured, and I could almost feel it doing me good after I drank it! With the digestive benefits of ginger I would reach for this to wake me up after a heavy night, or if I was feeling a bit under the weather I’d go for the lime & chilli – I think that would help me fight off anything!”

Creamy, Smoky and Spicy Jarlsberg, Applewood and Mexicana cheeses are now available pre-sliced - perfectly pre-prepared and 100 per cent fuss-free.

Choose from classic, creamy Jarlsberg for its distinctive round holes and sweet, nutty taste; or with a characteristic dusting of paprika, Applewood’s delicately smoky flavour makes it a firm family favourite. Or try spicy Mexicana to tantalise your taste buds with a fiery mix of bell, jalapeno and chilli peppers carefully blended up with a secret mixture of Mexican spices. www.mexicanacheese.co.uk www.jarlsberg.com/uk www.applewoodcheese.co.uk

“If I am in a hurry to make my lunch in the morning, grabbing some sliced cheese really does save me time – I appreciate it’s a bit of a luxury, but sometimes you just need to treat yourself!” said our tester. “And as we were sent all three flavours, to be able to make myself a delicious cheese sandwich or have fresh cheese and crackers at my desk at lunchtime was such a treat – I loved it! And I am surprised to say that the Mexicana was the winner for me, it was hot but still had the creaminess of the cheese to balance the spice – on top of a buttered cream cracker – simple yet perfect. I am afraid I ate it all before I even tried it melted on a burger but that is definitely on the agenda!”

www.foodchainmagazine.com 19

A passion for Super Premium beer

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Asahi UK

W

Operating as part of the leading Japanese brewery and soft drinks company, Asahi Breweries Ltd. and as a subsidiary of Asahi Europe Ltd, Asahi UK distributes several Super Premium beer brands across the UK and Ireland Gary Haigh

ith a portfolio comprising some of Europe’s most recognisable premium beer brands, including Peroni Nastro Azzurro; its Belgian abbey beer St Stefanus; Pilsner Urquell; Kozel; as well as the Polish Lech and Tyskie brands, Asahi UK Ltd. is responsible for the continued development of these brands as well as the Super Premium Category growth concept across the UK and Ireland.

Although the company has had a prominent position within the UK since 2005 and in Ireland since 2008, Asahi UK was established in its present form during October 2016, when the Tokyobased Asahi Breweries Ltd. company completed its ÂŁ1.3 billion acquisition of Miller Brands UK. The acquisition of

www.foodchainmagazine.com 21

Miller Brands UK added the premium European beer brands Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime to the company’s portfolio and reinforces its mission to further develop the appreciation of quality beer brands throughout the UK and Irish beer markets.

“Our Super Premium brand portfolio is powered by a seamless distribution network, expert customer marketing and sales capability – this means we can extend and grow Asahi’s ambition

22 www.foodchainmagazine.com

in the UK,” says Asahi UK Managing Director, Gary Haigh while commenting on the acquisition. “Peroni Nastro Azzurro has been a key driver in the growth of the UK super premium sector which is now worth £1.3 billion and accounts for more than a quarter of the London beer market. With the backing of the Asahi Group we will be able to continue our strategies for the brands, building on their success and allowing our customers to benefit from meeting the demands of UK consumers for high quality beer brands.”

Asahi UK is considered to be unique in the UK brewing industry in that it exclusively sells authentic, imported products, which enables it deliver a portfolio that combines a continental drinking experience with true heritage and quality. The Peroni Nastro Azzurro

brand for example, has changed the way consumers think about beer and is considered to be the best example of an innovation-led beer brand in the UK. Through the Peroni Nastro Azzurro brand Asahi has reinvented the consumer perception of what a beer can be, from its unique statement glass to the beer’s entire drinking persona and experience. By implementing an independent study amongst beer drinkers, the company has identified the five key areas that cause a consumer to perceive a brand as a super premium beer, comprising authenticity, taste, positive brand story, experience and visual identity. Across the Peroni Natsro Azzurro brand, its 250ml single ‘Piccola’ bottle is an apperitivo (‘before the meal’) beer and has proven to be very popular with female drinkers especially, while the 750ml ‘Alta’ sharing bottle has proven to be popular choice for evening sharing.

Tank beer Elsewhere across the Asahi UK portfolio of beers, the company’s Pilsner Urquell brand has continued to grow as London beer lovers increasingly tap into its authentic tank beer brewing technique, with over 10,000 pints of fresh, unpasteurised tank beer being enjoyed at the 2016 ‘Taste of London’ festival in Regent’s Park. In the first week of December 2016, Pilsner Urquell opened its thirteenth tank beer outlet at Cooper Hall, Manchester with the venue making a main feature of the brewery fresh unpasteurised beer and housing four Pilsner Urquell tanks. The worldrenowned Czech beer is made using Saaz Hops, Moravian Barley, Pilsner H yeast and Plzenˇ soft water and is delivered directly from Plzenˇ every week in temperature-controlled trucks, ensuring that guests always experience the freshest tasting Pilsner Urquell.

The Pilsner Urquell brand has continued in this spirit of Asahi UK’s determination to innovate, through aiding the reinvigoration of pub culture within the UK by showcasing true brewing craftsmanship. The beer is delivered through the process of ‘Tankovna’, where Pilsner Urquell delivers unpasteurised beer directly from the brewery to the recipient

Asahi UK tank bars. The brand is seeing new consumers enter into the category and use Tankovna venues as a destination for a quality and authentic drinking experience, with ten per cent of consumers entering a Tankovna venue because of the striking copper tanks. “Tank Beer is unique in its taste and quality and offers beer lovers the freshest beer possible,” explains

ZETA SYSTEM SRL Shipping anything from A to Z! Since 1992 Zeta System srl has been a leader in Europe as a shipping forwarder developing technological solutions that suits the needs of all customers. The direct sea services to the UK and over 35,000 containers shipped every year places Zeta System on top of the logistics suppliers.

Sole Director of Zeta System Srl Mr. Antonio Zaccagnino says: “It is prestigious for us to ship thousands of Peroni beer containers for Asahi UK Ltd and a lot more Made in Italy goods for some other VIP customers.”

Supply chain management, forwarding, warehousing and distribution are all logistics services and solutions, which Zeta System uses to guide its clients to the most exclusive transportation solution at a competitive price.

Pilsner Urquell Master Brewer, Robert Lobovsky. “The tanks ensure that the beer is kept at the right temperature and in perfect condition until the time it is poured into the glass, ensuring the very best taste, quality and a fuller, rounder malt body.”

With the ongoing transition from Miller Brands UK to Asahi UK, the company is in the process of further defining its sustainable development strategy to ensure that its new organisation is appropriate for both Asahi, its customers and the environment. While the details of the company’s future strategy are still in development, Asahi UK will always remain committed to social responsibility and business ethics in all areas of the company. The company believes that every business has a responsibility to understand and act upon its environmental impact and works towards sharing more information

with its suppliers, customers and consumers about both the carbon footprint of its beers and how the business is a working to reduce it. Asahi UK highly values its place within the local community and works to ensure that it makes an effective contribution to the local area and the people living there. It is therefore examining how it can most deploy resources such as employee volunteers, mentors and fundraising to most effectively support this aspiration. Finally, Asahi UK is uncompromising in its integrity and the quality of the company’s Super Premium beers. This philosophy extends to its policies and codes of practice, which will continue to be world class.

Passion for beer The current market environment within the beer sector is one of both considerable competition and tantalising opportunity. Although the market for

www.foodchainmagazine.com 23

beers has endured a period of decline during the past decade with as many as 15 pubs closing a week, the recent surge in the popularity in craft beers and an increase in the number of UK breweries by eight per cent to 1700

by October 2016 suggests a rising passion from consumers for premium beer products. Asahi UK shares this passion and takes great pride in its

Arcese Arcese is an asset based multinational company operating in the transport and logistics sector. Thanks to an extended network of partners worldwide, an owned modern fleet and warehouses, Arcese is a leading logistics operator in Italy and Europe.

With more than 600 million euro turnover, Arcese offers a wide range of services covering the entire supply chain: from road transport (FTL - LTL), to sea and air freight to warehousing and logistics.

24 www.foodchainmagazine.com

comprehensive portfolio of premium beers, which are produced using the finest ingredients. The company’s Peroni Nastro Azzurro beer for example, is brewed using Nostrano Dell’isola Italian maize creating a unique blend of three quarters barley and one quarter maize to give the beer its unique taste, while Pilsner Urquell uses the famous Saaz hop from the Zatec region of the Czech Republic, which is also known as the Noble Hops. Hops are responsible for the bitterness, aroma, foam and shelf life of a beer and Pilsner Urqell has double the amount of hops, giving it a fine hoppy aroma and a uniquely pleasing bitterness.

Howard Tenens Howard Tenens is one of the largest privately owned logistics company in the UK. We believe in reliable, high quality, value for money supply chain solutions, which we provide for an impressive array of customers across multiple sectors.

Our warehouse footprint is over 3,500,000 ft² in the UK, and we freehold own the vast majority of this commercial space as well as a distribution fleet of 160+ vehicles and 500+ trailers providing national coverage.

We specialise in providing solutions to our customer’s supply chain challenges, fulfilling all contracts to the highest levels of customers service and value for money by utilsing our professionally trained teams expertise and industry leading warehouse and transport management systems. We can offer the end to end solution, from imports to exports, container clearance, transport, storage, handling, re-work, kitting, value added services, full loads, parcel and pallet deliveries.

During the coming years Asahi UK will seek to further develop its brewing experience, as well as capitalise on its acquisition of Miller Brands UK, while taking advantage of the growing appetite for Super Premium beer in both the pub and off trade environments. D uk.asahibeer.co.uk

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15/12/2016 16:22

Bidvest Foodservice

Committed to

excellence

Embodying a passion for great food, Bidvest Foodservice works in partnership with its clients to deliver world-class cuisine across a variety of foodservice markets

S

ince first beginning operation as 3663 in 1999 when the Bidvest Group acquired Booker Foodservice, Bidvest Foodservice has grown as a leading partner in the delivery of service excellence and high-quality ingredients to clients throughout the food industry. The company has a vision to be the world’s best foodservice provider and operates according to its mission to deliver service excellence, make life easier and to help its customers grow. Bidvest Foodservice was previously featured in FoodChain during February 2016, after the company had completed a rebranding and a cultural change

Andy Kemp

programme and put in a new strategy to transition the business. Following this change, Bidvest Foodservice has continued to grow and further establish its presence in line with the changing demands of the foodservice sector and its clients.

“Since then the Bidvest Group has decoupled itself and now operates as the Bidvest Group Limited (conglomerate), based mainly in South Africa and the BidCorp foodservice business that trades internationally.

This was part of a strategic plan to develop the Bidvest organisation as a whole,” elaborates Bidvest Foodservice Group Sales & Marketing Director, Andy Kemp. “The most important thing

Bidvest Foodservice has is our customer focus and we ensure that our clients really do come first within our business.

We invest a lot of time and money into really understanding what our customers want and have recently appointed a Head of Insight & Customer Experience, Sarah Whiddett, who joined us from Waitrose. Sarah’s role is exclusively to help us examine and measure levels of customer experience. As a result of this commitment we have won a host of awards during 2016, which underpin our mission to provide the best levels of customer service. In July 2016 for example, we scooped the ‘Best Wholesaler’ accolade at the ‘him!’ awards and we have been noted as having the

www.foodchainmagazine.com 27

best ‘Wholesaler Telestaff’ by a network of 10,000 operators across the UK. In November we also received the Bronze Green Apple award for our sustainability credentials, and at the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) Awards we won the Service to Caterers, Green Wholesaler, Wholesale Driver and Young Wholesaler awards.”

KP Snacks

Responding to trends Further to continuing to monitor its relationships with the company’s clients, Bidvest Foodservice is also quick to respond to the changing trends and emerging demands of the food industry. Across the foodservice market healthy options and ‘cleaneating’ trends are increasing in demand from both consumers and service industry clients and Bidvest

Foodservice is addressing this with products such as wheat free and dairy free snack foods including ‘hippeas’ - organic chickpea puffs, which are growing in popularity. This is backed by a growth in popularity of new and existing cuisines from around the world as they appear in the UK market,

Délifrance With more than 1000 bread, viennoiserie,

KP Snacks produces some Iconic Brands,

pâtisserie and savoury products, Délifrance is

which are market leaders in their categories;

one of Europe’s leading bakery companies. A

and caters for various different categories

creator of bakery solutions for over 30 years,

within the Crisp, Snacks and Nuts category

Délifrance makes new taste experiences by

creating a one-stop shop solution for

infusing simple and essential bakery products

customers. These brands includes McCoys -

with flavour and inspiration. The Délifrance

number one Ridge Crisp brand, KP Nuts - the

brand, created in 1983, is well established

biggest branded nut brand, Hula Hoops - the

within the UK and European baking market

number one family snacking brand, Pom

and renowned for its quality, innovation,

Bear - a family favourite, and many more. KP

expertise and local support. Délifrance is

Snacks supports Bidvest and their customers to help grow their category and sales.

28 www.foodchainmagazine.com

proud to be servicing and supporting Bidvest

Bidvest Foodservice team at the FWD Awards

Foodservice.

Bidvest Foodservice while at the same time consumers are also expressing an interest in locally sourced goods. “We are beginning to observe a growth in the backing of British products, which is equally contrasted with a move towards South America, Mexican, Caribbean and Hawaiian foods with techniques such smoking and barbequing.

Previously there has been an oriental burst in the market, which was all about the Far Eastern, Chinese and Japanese foods, which is now also moving towards Korean and Asian street food,” Andy says. “There are several ways that we are able to keep ahead of the trends appearing in the market, but one of the advantages of being a global business with offices in China, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and throughout Europe, is that it is very easy for us to look at trends globally.

We also undertake our own research

into new foods and take part in things like the National Restaurant Association (NRA) show and travelling out to the US to do food studies there.

Our buyers are category champions that help us to remain on the leading edge – certainly we like to think that we deliver more innovation into the market than anybody else.”

Opening of our new business support centre and depot in Slough Trading Estate

Clients in control Indeed, innovation is at the core of the Bidvest Foodservice business with a continuously evolving product portfolio that is developed through constant collaboration with the company’s clients and industry partners. However, further to ensuring a rich and varied choice of food options, Bidvest Foodservice also developed a comprehensive online ordering system that enables its clients to have specialist control of their product inventories. The increasing introduction of digital technology is an invaluable tool for both Bidvest Foodservice and its clients in keeping track of an incredibly robust and dynamic food industry. “Bidvest Direct represents our latest online e-trading platform that allows orders to be processed 24-7 from any smart device.

It also includes a reporting facility that allows the client to look at baskets, information, order forms, ingredients,

www.foodchainmagazine.com 29

nutritional value and even live stock levels and live pricing information.

These are extremely valuable tools for our clients,” Andy reveals. “We believe that the foodservice market is incredibly strong at present and that

away-from-home eating concepts are huge. For example, you only need to look at the coffee culture today in comparison to the market ten years go.

Coffee shops today offer a vast variety of blends and increasing varieties

of morning goods. I think the market is very strong and will continue to grow, meaning that it is important for wholesalers to provide value for money and to work in a partnership with clients to reach a better understanding of their needs.”

Industry collaboration Bidvest Foodservice works in close collaboration with the foodservice industry and its clients through initiatives such as its ‘plate2planet’

Nestlé Professional NESCAFÉ® with its distinctive flavour and rich heritage has strived to deliver a great mug of coffee every time. Within Nestlé Professional® the ‘Sqround’ tin format was created to enhance the consumer experience: the click and close technology helps to seal in the flavour every time; its rich colours and aesthetically pleasing design blends style and convenience to deliver a premium look and feel. Breaking the mould from the old design and with the Bidvest customer’s

•

30 www.foodchainmagazine.com

Black + White Coffee Co.

convenience in mind, it simply is a better tin.

Bidvest Foodservice scheme, which promotes both industry innovations and sustainability. Partner businesses in industry-leaders such as Unilever, Premier Foods, Delifrance UK, Vegware, Planet First and Jacobs Douwe Egberts all work in collaboration to promote sustainability for partner businesses, clients and the industry as a whole. With the Christmas period fast approaching, Bidvest Foodservice continues to employ all of its strengths to provide a marketleading package of food options to achieve fantastic results, as Andy concludes: “The Christmas period is incredibly important for us, as it is for operators across the food market. It is a busy time where you will find that even clients with fixed costs, such as government-funded bodies, will still provide a Christmas dinner. We don’t work from fixed menus across our Christmas range and instead provide a massive selection of products that

meet the requirements of the entire market. For example our fresh turkey sales are already up around 250 per cent on what they were this time last year and we have increased the scope of our selection of buffet items.

The Christmas package that we have developed this year has been incredibly well received by our clients and we already know that we will have the best Christmas that we have ever had.” D www.bidvest.co.uk

plate2planet Live summit in November 2016

www.foodchainmagazine.com 31

rise On

the

F

Experts in supplying top-notch pizza and catering equipment, Linda Lewis Kitchens celebrates a decade of success in 2016

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ounded in January 2006 by budding entrepreneur Linda Lewis, Linda Lewis Kitchens (LLK) was established with the goal of supplying top-class catering equipment and other products for food preparation, cooking equipment and fast food equipment to customers seeking optimum quality solutions to their catering needs. A decade since its inception, LLK has accumulated an enviable customer base, with clients including independent restaurants, pubs, hotels and national chains within the takeaway and restaurant sector. As the sole importer of Cuppone pizza equipment to the UK, the company has grown significantly over the last ten years and also drastically increased knowledge in pizza equipment throughout the business.

Linda discusses the company’s rise since its humble beginnings: “Initially it was myself as the sole person in Linda Lewis Kitchens, but I went onto recruit another member of staff and three partners; I bought the partners out in 2009 and we relocated to new 4800 square feet premises in 2009 as well. In September 2016 we moved again into premises that are 13,200 square feet; this is a massive increase in space for us that has led to our team growing from eight to eleven, we also have four agents on the road. The move also means we have a demonstration area where customers can come in and undertake trials on the oven, look into menu development and get advice. That way customers can make a well-judged

decision on the right oven for them based on who will be working there, whether consistency will be a massive issue and so on. Our new facilities are also where we provide warehousing and distribution services for customers.

“Another reason for us to have a demonstration area is because we have recently launched our own range of wood-burning and living flame ovens.

This is a very exciting development for us, as from the onset of the business we have been representing Cuppone, which has been manufacturing pizza equipment for 52 years in Italy; however, Cuppone only produces gas and electric deck ovens and we have realised there is huge demand for wood-burning and living flame ovens. In response to this, we have been working with a manufacturer that has been developing these types of ovens for ten years; we took on the distribution of these ovens in September 2016 and they have proven to be very popular so far. In fact, we have quoted for approximately 40 since taking these wood-burning and living flame ovens on. We also went to the Pizza and Pasta Show and had 60 enquiries from there.”

Alongside the relocation to larger premises and the diversification of its product range, a recent focus for LLK has been centred around growing the Cuppone brand in the UK, which includes the world-renowned Cuppone pizza ovens, dough mixers and presses.

An ever-expanding series of products, the Cuppone pizza oven range is not only stunningly stylish, which makes it

Linda Lewis Kitchens ideal for front of house positions, each is made in Italy and has a stone base in order to guarantee authentic pizza making. “Authenticity is hugely important to LLK,” says Linda. “We often get asked for conveyor ovens, but the way a pizza is cooked on a conveyor oven isn’t the authentic brick-based way of cooking pizza. We want to produce a really good product, not a mass-produced product; with our range of pizza ovens you never get a soggy bottom and instead get a fabulous result.”

She continues: “Another great product is the pizza press, which flattens the dough balls and can also be used for naan breads and chapattis; with up to 400 presses per hour, this is a great product that saves thousands of pounds per year while delivering the same consistency in quality.”

Passionate about pizza, LLK’s team of employees use their long-term expertise in the catering sector as well

as their in depth knowledge of pizza to provide customers with the best possible solutions that not only inspire but also ensure the best-possible results. “The quality of communication, advice, products, services and actions is something that we instill in our staff, which in turn means that we will never sell something to a customer if it isn’t right for them. It is ultimately about making customers happy and not leaving them disappointed with a product that isn’t right for their business,” comments Linda. This expertise and customer-

centric focus on operations runs throughout the company, with LLK also offering a swift response when it comes to repairs – furthermore, the company’s warranty costs are just 0.05 per cent of its annual turnover, illustrating just how reliable its products are. “As a customer of LLK, you can be assured that the product is unlikely to break because of our statistics, but you also want to know if any problems do arise, LLK will get someone there straight away with parts to fix it and get your product up and running,” highlights Linda.

Having recently been shortlisted at the Catering Insight Awards for Service Support and Warranty, LLK is set for further success as its commitment to going above-and-beyond when it comes to customer satisfaction, quality and innovation leads to increased demand from those seeking optimum solutions in the competitive catering industry. D www.linda-lewis.co.uk

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Quality on tap

Formed from three people’s passion for beer, particularly US craft beer, Magic Rock Brewing Co Ltd has enjoyed solid growth as a specialist in brewing exciting and flavourful beers 34 www.foodchainmagazine.com

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ounded in 2011, Magic Rock Brewing Co Ltd is a labour of love from two brothers with a passion for great beer and the burgeoning UK craft beer scene.

Aided by head brewer Stuart Rose, the team was driven by a desire to bring characterful and exciting beers to both their local market and beyond.

With brewing beginning in mid 2011, Jonny sold the majority of his shares to Richard in the final quarters of 2011.

Beginning operations with a core range of six beers, from an easy drinking pale ale to an American-inspired 7.4 per

cent IPA, the brewery was also involved in a number of collaborations, seasonal beers and one-offs to keep things interesting for both customers and the company. From the brewery’s early days, the beers exceeded expectations, which resulted in Magic Rock Brewing Co being named the 2nd Best New Brewery in the World 2012 on the independent ratings site Rate Beer. Having gained an impressive reputation, the company increased capacity to meet demand in the first year of operations, with additional 166bbl fermenting vessels added in October 2011 and January 2012.

Magic Rock Brewing Co Ltd Images courtesy of Sam Needham

With further growth following, the brewery relocated to a new site in Birkby, Huddersfield, which increased capacity to 10,000hl PA; the Magic Rock Tap House was then opened, which resulted in the launch of the brewery’s first run of cans. Capacity was increased by a further 100 per cent in early 2016, with fermentation capacity now reaching 70,000 litres.

Richard discusses the brewery’s developments in that time: “We still make the core beers that we produced five years ago, which all still sell in good numbers; but we now have a

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core number of eight beers, which are reflected by the products we do in smaller packs, so there is an eight can core range. We did draught for the first five years in operation, but since we moved to the new site in 2015 and installed the right equipment, we now have cans.”

Core range Within the core range is Salty Kiss, a 4.1 per cent German style gooseberry flavoured gose that has a tart, sour, fruity and refreshing taste that makes it an excellent accompaniment to food; Hat-Trick, a modern take on a traditional pale ale that is 3.7 per cent and brewed in association with local football club Huddersfield Town and Ringmaster, Magic Rock Brewing’s 3.9 per cent flagship pale ale that uses hops from the US to ensure a floral/grassy aroma as well as citrus flavours. There is also Inhaler, a 4.5 per cent juicy pale ale;

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Crowther & Shaw Crowther & Shaw are delighted to support Magic Rock Brewing Co with their commercial refrigeration equipment. We worked alongside the brewery during their expansion and relocation to their new premises providing their new beer storage coldrooms and associated refrigeration systems.

Magic Rock has proved to be a growing business and we are happy to have provided them with support in our market sector to help with this success.

Rapture, a full-bodied, 4.6 per cent hoppy red beer that is made up of five types of malt and six types of hops; High Wire, a 5.5 per cent tribute to the pale ales of the West Coast of America; High Wire Grapefruit, a 5.5 per cent fruitinfused version of Magic Rock Brewing’s High Wire pale ale and Dark Arts, a six per cent surreal stout that blends four malts and many hops to deliver a decadent and indulgent experience. The final product in the range is Cannonball, a 7.4 per cent India pale ale that is high in alcohol and hugely hopped to deliver strong flavours such as tropical fruits and a sweet malty backbone.

Elaborating on what makes Magic Rock Brewing’s products unique, Richard states: “It is the approach; I wanted intensity of flavour with drinkability that makes people want another one. When it comes to our core beers it has been a matter of tweaking them and continual improvement

Magic Rock Brewing Co Ltd since we started brewing. It is also our branding, which is done by a friend of mine Richard Norgate; I’m not sure people had seen modern branding quite like ours with beer in the UK before, we love good design and wanted a level of idiosyncrasy to our branding. The way we approached the marketing and brand side of the business has worked out very well.”

Continuous improvement Focusing on continuous improvement and expansion has proven fruitful for the company, with turnover increasing to £3.5 million and a further increase of 25 per cent to 30 per cent anticipated over the next 12 months. “This expansion has enabled us to supply to a lot of people that we couldn’t previously; in the first four years we had to keep saying no to people and instead maintained our original clients. However, with this additional capacity we have

CTS Ltd As part of Magic Rock’s plans to purchase bulk malt for crushing in house, Nick Zeigler invited CTS Process to put forward a scheme. We were pleased to offer Nick our own Malt Mill which would give Magic Rock the versatility to produce the exact grist specification required for their exciting range of beers. CTS visited the site and carried out a full survey allowing them to fully integrate two new loadcell mounted malt silos, conveyors and the mill. The existing grist case was fitted with loadcells and a new CTS supplied PLC control system providing easy recipe selection was installed.

been able to export and do more distribution, with export reaching more than 20 countries now,” says Richard.

Moving forward, Magic Rock Brewing is keen to continue enhancing its product range and delivering new and interesting products to customers as a way to remain a leading position in a competitive market. “We have no desire to aggressively expand, but instead are more interested in improving quality. We can potentially increase capacity by 30 per cent by improving procedures and speeding things up, but more important for me is that we are focused on production improvements and delivering better quality beer. The UK market is very competitive and we don’t want to get dragged into price wars, which is why we seek out new ways of offering high quality beers that are exciting for customers and for us,” Richard concludes. D www.magicrockbrewing.com

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Global luxury

Since its merger with Marriott International Starwood Hotels is now part of the world’s largest and best hotel company

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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.

Since previously being featured in FoodChain magazine in December 2015, a major milestone in Starwood Hotel’s history has come to pass, with Marriott International, a global leading lodging company with more than 5700 properties in over 110 countries, completing a $13.6 billion merger with Starwood Hotels in September 2016.

This merger not only brings together two different corporate cultures, but has also created the world’s largest hotel chain. Moreover, the merger is anticipated to not only optimise value, but will also add strong benefits when it comes to global scale in an increasingly digitalised market; in fact, the group will now have 30 brands, 5700 hotels, more than one million rooms and a presence in 110 countries.

Loyalty programmes Key to the future success of this significant merger is the combination of Marriott Rewards with the Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty programme; should this aspect of the deal go well, there would be 75 million loyal customers that should directly book with Marriott, which thus reduces the impact of competition from online travel agents. Furthermore, with the loyalty packages integrating, the group would also benefit from a reduction in the costs of running these loyalty programmes separately. Benefits for guests of one of the companies are likely to include more reward options via the other company and an increased global reach to take advantage of these rewards.

While the loyalty programmes are currently linked, the two are anticipated to remain separate entities until 2018; until then, guests can link their Rewards and SPG accounts to get the best possible benefits throughout the group’s portfolio. However, it should

Starwood Hotels and Resorts be noted that the policy remains that guests can be a member of either Marriot Rewards or the Ritz-Carlton Rewards, but not both.

With the hospitality sector broadening into a new area in which companies provide sales and marketing support for independent hotels, this merger also offers Starwood Hotels and Marriott opportunities to focus on developing competitive digital offerings that engage guests and ensure they return again and again; this could include a tool with recommendations for nearby activities or an app that recognises the preferences of guests and provides a personalised service. Additionally, interacting with customers via social media and regularly updating guests on offers or developments within the hotel company will also ensure Starwood Hotels and Marriott continue to extend the connection with guests after they have checked out.

Upon looking at Starwood Hotel’s website, it is clear that the company has taken heed of the opportunities for growth that are available online, with offers to guests shown in the lower centre of the homepage; these include the option to double and triple Starpoints for weekday and weekend stays respectively if they register for SPG More for You by November 30th 2016.

Other offers available include links to the biggest sale of the year, in which up to 35 per cent can be saved if guests book

by December 4th and SPG Breakfast plus, an offer that provides guests with 35 per cent off their stay, continental breakfast for two and more in North America. Additionally, Starwood Hotels is offering guests 40 per cent off their next night for every night they pay at the hotel company’s regular rate.

Despite this major development taking place, Starwood Hotels will continue to operate as an individual brand under the Marriott umbrella, and will continue with its total focus on providing an unrivalled guest experience as well as progressing forward with the huge plans it has in place for further growth and investment.

In fact, over the next five years alone, the company has four new hotels due to open; these include the Aloft London, located at London Tobacco Dock and

Aloft Brighton, both of which are due to open in September 2018; the remaining two hotels, Element at London Tobacco Dock, and W Edinburgh at Exchange Crescent, are scheduled to open in June 2019 and 2021 respectively.

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.

Committed to expansion and growing its already expansive brand and hotel portfolio over the coming years, Starwood Hotels looks set for continued success as it not only benefits from the strengths of Marriott, but also from an ongoing awareness of key global trends as it moves forward. D www.starwoodhotels.com

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Bags of fun A leader in the world of fun food and equipment, MRS Packaging is dedicated to providing high quality equipment, supplies and disposables to customers

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ounded in 1990 by Mr Manu Soni, MRS Packaging Ltd was created with the vision of providing the highest quality equipment, supplies and disposables to customers that are key players in their respective spaces.

Keen to become the leader in delivering optimum quality concession and catering equipment, food supplies, disposable packaging services to clients without sacrificing excellent customer service, MRS Packaging has spent the past 16 years becoming a pioneer in the food and beverages industry for those in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. “A firm believer in the role of industry in shaping customer taste and demand, my understanding of the changing demographics of the markets my customers cater to, as well as my pursuit of technology, has been instrumental in positioning MRS Packaging as a leader in the world of fun food and equipment,” says Mr Manu Soni, Founder and Managing Director of MRS Packaging Ltd. He continues: “In the past two-anda-half decades, MRS Packaging has introduced among other interesting food options, nacho chips and flavoured pocorn to cinemas, which was previously virtually unheard of. We were also the

first to go to market with nacho tortilla chips in the retail space as ‘Nachos 2 Go’.“ Supplying the best quality product in its store, the company is a firm believer that nachos are the most important snack for every event, movie or gathering.

Recently adding to its product range of nacho machines, nacho chips, cheese, chill and salsa as well as nacho trays and supplies, MRS Packaging has introduced refreshing guacamole to further enhance consumer experience and improve profits for customers.

Today the UAE’s leading suppliers of fun food and concession equipment, MRS Packaging currently employs more than 65 personnel and celebrated 25 years in operation in 2015. Products and services available within the company’s extensive range are segmented into divisions: concession equipment, food supplies, disposable packaging and business consultation. Within concession equipment, products include popcorn poppers, with cabinets, carts and dispensers; nacho, salsa and cheese warmers; cotton candy machines, shave-ice Snow Kone machines, Slush and frozen beverage supplies and hot dog grills as well as candy apple cookers.

Products in the food supplies segment include popcorn and gourmet popcorn, nachos, chips, cotton candy supplies; cheese, salsa and jalapenos; slush mixes and concentrates and waffles, crepe and pretzels.

Solution provider For those seeking disposable packaging products, the company offers customers paper, foam and plastic cups, custom print options for cups, matching lids, single use boxes and takeaway dinnerware and cutlery, tableware and accessories. In addition to these products, MRS Packaging also provides business consultation services, which includes profit counselling, turnkey solutions, business plan viability consulting; food selection consulting and supply planning consulting. “We are a one-stop-shop concession and fun food solution provider,” confirms Mr Soni. “We are also a HACCP certified company and a member of the National Association of Concessionaires (NAC), the trade association of the recreation and leisure-

MRS Packaging time food and beverage concessions industry. To serve customers we have our own warehouse and supply vans and trucks, regional warehouses and logistics as well as an after-sales services technical team. When it comes to our business consulting service, we help customers decide on the right location, demography and food cost as well as market selling price research for specific location and demographic profile.”

Indeed, the MRS Packaging team provides customers with quality aftersales service, on-site installation and concession equipment, operational

Golden Malted Golden Malted is pleased to have M.R.S. Packaging Ltd. as the exclusive distributor of its Golden Malted Pancake & Waffle Programme within the GCC region. In 1937, Fred S. Carbon developed the recipe for ‘The World’s First Improved Flour’, Golden Malted Pancake & Waffle Flour. Golden Malted commercial waffle bakers are provided on loan at no cost with exclusive use of Golden Malted Pancake & Waffle Flour.

training and advice on how to use and care for the concession equipment supplies. “MRS Packaging also consults customers on recipes and portions that maximise operational profits without compromising on customer happiness,” adds Mr Soni.

Core customers of the company include theme parks, such as Dubai Parks & Resorts, sports arenas, stadiums, theatres, cinemas, hotels, restaurants and bars. “We have supply

and maintenance contracts with some large theme parks,” says Mr Soni.

“At MRS Packaging, we know we are not merely suppliers; we participate in our customers’ success so that we can succeed with them, and we do this through our culture of continuous improvement in service quality.”

With the UAE swiftly becoming the leisure and entertainment centre for the Meena and GCC region, the future looks full of fun for MRS Packaging as it continues to seek out new contracts and continue its ongoing projects with major theme parks. To stay competitive in a growing market, the company won’t be resting on its laurels and will instead continue to introduce new options while also delivering exceptional customer service. By maintaining a pioneering approach to fun food solutions, MRS Packaging will certainly be a business than enjoys fun-sprinkled profits. D www.mrspackaging.com

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Taste the

tradition

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Roussas Dairy S.A.

Dedicated to the production of feta cheese, Roussas Dairy uses pure, pasteurised Greek sheep & goat milk to deliver traditional, high quality products to its global customer base

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ounded in 1952 by the Roussas family, Roussas Dairy has maintained the traditions of its forefathers by focusing on achieving truly authentic products through traditional methods of production. While the company today operates in a highly modern, state-of-theart production plant in Almyros, Central Greece, its high quality feta cheese is still created following the skill and mastery passed down from the family’s nomadic Sarakatsani ancestors, who for centuries roamed through the mountains of central Greece with their herds.

Following three expansions at its 10,000 square metre plant, the company’s annual capacity has grown to more than 20,000 tons of cheese annually as well as 140,000 litres of

sheep/goat’s milk per shift. The latest expansion is a ten million euros project in total scheduled to be completed in early 2017, improvements at the plant also included the construction of a new packaging building, the installation of new robotic packaging lines, new automated production lines and new office premises and seminar halls; the company also over doubled the capacity of its sewage treatment plant.

Despite this progression into ultra-modern, expansive facilities, the company still views the dairy as a means to enhance the traditional methods, which result in the delivery of high calibre, world-renowned cheese.

Indeed, in the present day more than 90 per cent of the company’s annual production is exported to locations such as the US, Canada, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East and Far East. Retaining its name in Europe, Roussas’ products are also known as the brand Mt. Vikos in the US and Canada, Mt. Athos in Australia and Asia & Terra Aeolica (Europe, Australia).

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Roussas Dairy S.A.

Products available under the Roussas’ name which has a logo, proudly emblazoned with the slogan ‘ARTISAN CHEESE MAKERS’, include feta P.D.O., which is aged in tins; feta P.D.O. that is aged in wooden barrels, a traditional technique which requires the cheese to mature in specially handcrafted beech tree barrels, organic feta P.D.O., diced feta P.D.O., white cheese, spreadable cheese, yellow cheese, fresh cheese, grillable cheese, labneh and yoghurt.

With a packaging availability, ranging from vacuum packed portion sizes of 30 grams to bulk 60 kilogram wooden barrels, Roussas Dairy can correspond effectively to various consumer demands on a global market scale.

New products within the company’s portfolio include the latest entry, Roussas spread with Feta and Greek Yogurt, which is a tasteful and innovative product that was developed as an addition to the company’s wide product range. Future range additions include products that comply with latest nutritional trends such as Lactose free cheese and Low sodium cheese.

Key to Roussas’ ongoing success is the company’s belief that quality products begin with quality ingredients, in which purity plays an intrinsic part of the cheese-making process. Strongly opposed to the use of GMO’s when it comes to the production of animal feed, the company remains steadfast in the use of pure, natural milk and is proud to have adopted the principles of organic

cheese production, from the very first steps of organic farming in Greece. With organic production rapidly increasing in popularity as consumers become more aware of the means in which their food is produced, dairy organic producers such as Roussas are certain to benefit from further demand. In addition to being certified as an organic cheese producer, Roussas is also involved in all aspects of animal care; in fact, the company pays attention to animal feed, nutritional requirements and veterinary practices, while the scientific personnel at the factory keep up-to-date with any new developments in the organic field.

Alongside being an organic cheese producer, Roussas also barrel ages some of its feta products and is the lead exporter of feta that matures in this traditional manner, keeping alive a centuries old maturation technique. After maturation, cheese is portioned, packed and exported to reach every consumer across the globe that loves authentic, high quality feta. This distinguished product can be found on shelves for premium quality cheeses at the special cheese corners of retail shops.

Complementing this commitment to traditional, high quality, cheese products is the fact that all packaging for Roussas’ is manufactured from premium quality materials that are mostly recyclable and environmentally friendly, ensuring the packaging will naturally decompose with time and not cause harm to both the environment or animals that live within it.

This commitment to quality and heritage has proven fruitful for Roussas, with the company winning a number of awards at the coveted, blind-tasted

Great Taste 2015 awards. Judged by more than 400 of the most demanding palates, belonging to food critics, cooks, restaurateurs and chefs as well as a host of writers and journalists, the Great Taste awards is widely acknowledged as the most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and specialty food producers.

Winning six precious gold stars in total, the company is now able to proudly carry the little gold and black Great Taste logo on its products. When a product wears a Great Taste label it not only carries a badge of honour, but is also a signpost to a wonderful tasting product. Winning products were Roussas Barrel Aged Feta, which was awarded three stars, Roussas Organic Feta, which was awarded two stars, and Roussas Feta Cubes in EVOO with herbs, which was awarded one star.

In addition to these awards, Roussas Barrel Aged Feta was also included in the 2015 Great Taste Top 50 Foods, which means the product has been part of an exhaustive judging process that defines the best 50 foods that consumers should be buying and tasting.

Having achieved major success at the Great Taste awards, Roussas is seeking to increase its international market share through the delivery of distinctive tasting products of unrivalled quality. However, although its size has increased and means of production have changed, the company remains committed to purity, flavour and quality. Because of this, Roussas Dairy S.A. is confident that the company will continue to set high standards when it comes to exceptional, fine tasting, authentic Greek dairy products for cheese connoisseurs all over the world. D www.roussas.gr

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A fresh opportunity With a tempting menu of fresh Mexican food available at any time of the day, Tortilla offers a unique blend of Mexican and Californian dining experiences

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he story of Tortilla began in 2007 when Brandon Stephens and his wife Jen Stephens opened the first in what would become an international chain of CaliMex restaurants in the London Borough of Islington. Brandon had travelled to London from the Mission District of San Francisco‚ the self-proclaimed burrito capital of the world, to study at the London School of Economics. During his tenure as a student at the prestigious institution, he wrote a thesis on Mexican food in London in which he noted that the cuisine was poorly represented.

Having arrived in London from San Francisco where a blend of Mexican and Californian styles is hugely popular, Brandon felt that there was a significant opportunity to enter into the UK market and excitedly founded Tortilla.

Beginning with his first Islington restaurant, the business proved to be a hit with the locals and quickly expanded to include new locations throughout the London with Richard Morris joining the business as Managing Director in January 2014. “Brandon had established the brand across 10-11 locations when I first met him.

He was interested in exploring other

opportunities, so I came into the business as CEO for Tortilla to manage and continue to grow the company.

Having consolidated our 11 existing locations we decided to raise some money by refinancing with an aim to open eight to nine restaurants a year until we reached 40-45 locations,” Richard explains. “We are currently on plan and although we haven’t opened as many stores as we would have liked, we are presently established in 32 locations with a further three or more planned for 2017. The business has gone from strength to strength and has been very successful, with a projected turnover for 2017 of £30 million with stores established all over the country.”

Capitalising on the popularity of its exciting Mexican/Californian inspired menu, Tortilla is now established in 18 locations throughout Greater and Central London, as well as across 13 other major cities around the UK including Liverpool, Bristol and Birmingham. “We took the decision to open outside of London around 18 months ago and the brand has been generally well received.

Sales growth has been slightly slower outside of London, purely because Mexican food, burritos and tacos are relatively common in London when compared to the rest of the country.

While a new restaurant opened in London is typically busy within the first six months this can take up to 18 months elsewhere, however once the brand has been fully understood the trading grows quickly,” Richard says. “It can be a leap of faith for customers to walk into a restaurant that they do not know. We make it possible for diners to be the architect of their own burrito or taco from the food on offer, which initially can be a daunting prospect, as they do not necessarily know our naming conventions such as carnitas or barbacoa. We also offer options such as guacamole, different types of rice, salsas and cater for a wide range of dietary requirements, but once people come in and see our food they understand that it is made fresh onsite everyday and that the price point is very competitive.

Customers quickly understand that this represents great value, as they are able to customise their food. Our menu can

Tortilla Mexican Grill be really healthy or it can be proper comfort food.”

Each of the company’s Tortilla restaurants are designed to project a San Francisco theme, while incorporating unique features that differentiates each individual location.

The design elements of the restaurants include deep red tiles that signify the redwood trees found in San Francisco and rustic beer cages that are stocked with both Mexican and Californian beers. Several new locations have opened around the UK during 2016, while Tortilla has also continued to on its path to ‘world domination’ by opening its second branch in the space of three months in Dubai, at the Riverland theme park belonging to Dubai Parks & Resorts. As the business continues to grow, Tortilla will continue to seek out new sites and establish its presence around the UK and beyond. “We have now opened two locations in Dubai, one

of which is located in the Festival City Mall, while the other is situated at the Riverland theme park. We have plans to open a further three or four restaurants each year in the MENA region and have two planned for Saudi Arabia during 2017 with a third site planned for Dubai, which will operate as franchises. They are not owned or run by us but we know the franchise company quite well and have a good relationship with them, so the relationship works very well and they

are doing a really good job,” Richard concludes. “We have a fantastic product and we are keen to keep it competitively priced. We currently employ over 500 people across the business and a big focus next year is looking after them and making sure we have very clear career progression in place. We always aim to put our stores and customers first, and it is really important that our teams see a long term career with Tortilla.” D www.tortilla.co.uk

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From the

heart Recognising an opportunity to develop a new dining experience, Thai Leisure Group is rapidly establishing itself with leading new brands in the restaurant sector

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ith Thai cuisine arguably an under-represented offering within the busy UK restaurant sector, the Thai Leisure Group was incorporated with an ambition to capture this potentially lucrative market by providing diners with a tempting combination of authentic Thai cuisine and genuine hospitality. Formed during 2005 by its founders and joint chair board members, Martin Stead and Kim Kwaikraihott, the company today represents the UK’s leading Thai restaurant operation with 21 locations across the country. Since its inception, an important part of the success of the business has been its mission to be ‘Ow Jai Sai’ (from the heart) in delivering a ‘Ha Dao’ (five star) customer experience.

Indeed, Thai Leisure Group is fully committed to providing its clientele with an excellent dining experience by embracing the spirit and soul of Thailand, with passion and a love of its business that is expressed through ‘Samakee’ (great team working) and ‘Sanook’ (fun).

During more than a decade in operation, Thai Leisure Group has grown to include four distinctive brands across 21 locations throughout the

UK, with a target to reach as many as 40 restaurants by the end of 2018. In fact 2016 has proven to be a highly successful time for the company, with the business opening several new restaurants and securing funding for further new locations to be opened by the end of the year. With its roots set in a site formerly occupied by Aberdeen’s renowned heritage pub The Monkey House, Thai Leisure Group launched its new Chaophraya Aberdeen restaurant during July 2016. The new site can accommodate as many as 160 diners and created 40 new full and part-time jobs in the city, with the majority of staff being hired from the local area. The fine dining restaurant pays homage to its roots with opulent interior reminiscent of modern Thai design, whilst complementing the historical interior of the Union Terrace building, originally built in 1855.

“The demand for upmarket dining in Aberdeen is booming and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the first Chaophraya site in two years to this beautiful city. Following the unprecedented success of our Thaikhun restaurant, we’re looking forward to offering Chaophraya’s aspirational dining experience to people we know love Thai food at its best,” commented Thai Leisure Group Managing Director, Ian Leigh. “For me, Chaophraya provides the perfect backdrop for occasions and celebrations, whilst still being completely accessible to everyone.”

Greater coverage Further to the launch of its second site in Aberdeen, Thai Leisure Group has been able to open three new branches in Southampton, Newcastle and Bath after securing £10 million in additional funding from the Santander Group during February 2016. The new sites represent an important step in the company’s strategy to create greater coverage of the Thai Leisure Group brand across the UK. Santander had previously provided the company with growth capital in 2012, which was used to support Thai Leisure Group in its expansion into Scotland with openings in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Over subsequent years the business

Thai Leisure Group has reached a turnover of in excess of £36 million, while creating around 900 job across the company.

The Thai Leisure Group culinary experience is comprised of its four unique and distinctive concepts, which are derived from its Thanikhun Street Food and Chaophraya Thai Dining roll out brands in addition to its Yee Rah Bar & Grill and ChaoBaby Thai Restaurant supporting brands. Each of these brands is designed to bring a unique Thai

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dining experience to the UK marketplace and as the business has evolved, so too have its brands. During September 2016 for example, it was announced that the iconic Chaophraya restaurant group had introduced a revolutionary new menu, designed to transform and further elevate the dining experience of its clients. Fusing culinary imagination with fine cuisine, Chaophraya’s new menu delivers a sophisticated edge to Thai dining, by offering a mix of eclectic and contemporary dishes inspired by tastes from across the Thai regions. As part of the transformations, Chaophraya will also encourage guests to embrace the traditional way of dining as per Thai culture, by eating ‘family style,’ where multiple dishes are shared by everyone at the table.

New levels This new dining experience challenges the misconceptions associated with

eating Thai food with chopsticks, as in the majority of cases only noodle dishes are eaten this way, with a spoon and fork presented at the table. With the ongoing evolution of its menu and the rapid expansion of its presence across the country, Thai Leisure Group is set to continue to take the UK by storm with its unique dining experiences. “The launch of our new menu is a really exciting development for Chaophraya. Over the past six months our senior culinary brigade have travelled to Thailand to research the latest developments in Thai cuisine and we have blended this with the knowledge of our expert chefs in our restaurants,” concludes Development Chef of Chaophraya, Nattawut Leela. “With a dash of imagination we believe we have created a menu that takes Thai dining to a new level here in the UK.” D www.thaileisuregroup.co.uk

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FoodChain The business of food and drink

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