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Peter Cusick appointed as partner at Roythornes

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Peter Cusick appointed as partner at Roythornes

Roythornes Peter CusickLeading food and drink sector law firm Roythornes has announced the appointment of Peter Cusick as a partner within its agriculture, food and litigation teams.

Described by Chambers UK, which ranks the best lawyers in the country, as “a brilliant legal mind”, Mr Cusick has a national reputation for agricultural and food cases

Chambers UK added: “He is incredibly efficient and immediate in his response. He is totally up-to-date with all the legal aspects of a dispute. He is very quick to grasp the essential implications of any situation, and to clearly see options to resolve the problem.”

Mr Cusick has a national reputation for agricultural and food cases including successfully handling complex cases against the Rural Payments Agency and DEFRA, particularly in the area of fruit and vegetable Producer Organisations (POs) and other subsidies.

Instructed by farmers whose livestock contracted Foot and Mouth Disease in 2007, he was central to an important test case against the Institute for Animal Health, DEFRA and others.

His cases often have a European dimension and he has acted in the European Court of Justice.

In addition, he also advised clients on a wide range of commercial disputes including partnership disputes, agency law, banking litigation and professional negligence claims.

He also acts on planning and environmental disputes with particular expertise in cases involving the adoption of sewerage systems.

Speaking about the appointment Peter Bennett, head of the food and drink team, said: “Peter is a fantastic addition to the Roythornes team – his breadth of experience and expertise speaks for itself.

“He has tremendous experience across a range of fields which I am sure will be invaluable to our clients.

“We’re delighted to have him as part of the team and believe this further solidifies our status as the leading practice in the food and drink sector.”

He is listed as a leading solicitor with the major legal directories and is also a CEDR Accredited Mediator.

For more information on Roythornes food and drink team, visit www.roythornes.co.uk

Caterforce Launches Innovative Frozen Cake and Dessert Range

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Caterforce Launches Innovative Frozen Cake and Dessert Range

The Caterforce Group has launched a range of 10 new cake and dessert products under its ‘Chefs’ Selections by Caterforce’ brand.

Produced by BRC accredited suppliers, the new range offers end-users true innovation, on-trend flavours and stunning presentation.

The range includes a triple-tiered Rose and Pistachio Cake hand-decorated with dried rose petals, hand-finished Cherry Bakewell Cake and a Raspberry, White Chocolate Prosecco Roulade with 25% Prosecco and an ambient-stable triple-tiered Red Velvet Cake.

Group Buying Manager Kelly Orme said ‘We are delighted to launch this truly innovative range of cakes and desserts. Together with our partner suppliers, we have shaken-up the traditional perception of an own-brand range. The new products are on-trend and visually stunning, offering our Members and end-users a real point of difference’.

Philip Parker, Procurement Director at Pilgrim Foodservice said ‘The new range of cakes and desserts from Caterforce will enable us to offer our customers unique products and real value. Cakes are just the start, we are looking forward to launching much more under the Chefs’ Selections brand’

The range launch will be accompanied by an extensive marketing package including brochure editorials, trade show presentations and customer sampling.

For further information contact: Kelly Orme korme@caterforce.co.uk Tel +44 (0)1625 440188

Drug Driving Statistics

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Drug Driving Statistics

DrugWipe, our drug screener has been type-approved by the Home Office for use at the roadside. Over the past twelve months we have trained and supplied stock to all 44 of the police forces in Great Britain who now see DrugWipe as an integral part of their fight against drug drivers.

The articles below may be of interest to  H & S professionals, HR professionals, Fleet professionals who may be looking at ways to combat the very real risk of impaired employees undertaking safety critical roles at work.

It is clear from these articles to see that socially we have a problem and we also know from our work within employee screening, the issue is replicated in the workplace.

Dtec are proud of the work that we (and our DrugWipe) are doing to reduce the risk of drug driving and likewise are proud of the relationship we have with our existing workplace customer base of more than 300 companies.

Daily Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12124735/Hundreds-of-drug-drivers-snared-by-police-roadside-test-campaign-police-reveal.html

National Police Chiefs Council

http://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/getting-drugs-off-our-roads-christmas-drink-and-drug-drive-campaign-results#.Vqnfm62ZpsE.twitter

These statistics prove beyond any doubt that drug driving is a very real problem on our roads!

From a workplace perspective, D.Tec can train your managers and implement the DrugWipe screening system into your business. UK Sales Manager for workplace testing Gareth Salisbury explains “DrugWipe has been proven to be an effective means of detecting drug drivers at the roadside and the statistics above tell us of the very real issue that exists. From the results that we see within the workplaces that we do supply, we can also confidently say that there is a very real issue amongst many safety critical industries; D.Tec can help guide companies through every step of implementing a workplace D & A policy and testing programme. Our testing methods are an effective deterrent against employee drug or alcohol misuse, using credible onsite screening drug and alcohol testing solutions including DrugWipe, the polices choice!”

Please contact me on the details below to discuss implementing the polices choice of testing into your company.

Gareth Salisbury
UK Sales Manager – Workplace Testing
D.Tec International Limited

Mobile Telephone – 07500 770887
Office Telephone – 0800 371 898
Email – gareth.salisbury@dtecinternational.com
Website – www.dtecinternational.com

Webshop – http://www.dtecinternational.com/shop/home.php

Apprenticeship Levy

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Roythornes employment law e-briefing 181
Apprenticeship Levy

The Government has published draft legislation on the Apprenticeship Levy, which will be introduced from April 2017.

The draft legislation confirms that from April 2017, employers with an annual wage bill of more than £3m will have to pay a levy of 0.5% of payroll to fund apprenticeships. It will be payable through PAYE alongside income tax and National Insurance.

To offset the payment of the levy, employers will receive a £15,000 allowance, which will be paid in vouchers. Employers who operate a number of payrolls will only be able to claim one allowance.

The Government aim to use £3bn raised to boost both the quality and quantity of apprenticeships. They aim to create an additional 3 million by 2020.

The lack of a skilled workforce is a growing problem for the UK, particularly in some sectors and whilst the measures will cause some additional costs for larger employers, most employers would find their aims hard to disagree with.

The draft legislation and explanatory notes can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-levy

Roythornes employment law team
Phil Cookson 01775 842575
Peter Bennett 01775 842567
Maz Dannourah 01775 842597

BIRDS EYE SAYS ‘HELLO MORNING!’ WITH NEW FROZEN BREAKFAST RANGE

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

BIRDS EYE SAYS ‘HELLO MORNING!’ WITH NEW FROZEN BREAKFAST RANGE AND £3M SUPPORT PLAN

– NEW range of frozen breakfasts, including waffles, pancakes and croissants –

Leading frozen food brand, Birds Eye, has announced the launch of a NEW breakfast range – Hello Morning! Available at the end of February 2016, Hello Morning! marks Birds Eye’s first entry into the breakfast category, offering the same quality, aroma and taste as freshly-baked goods.

The range consists of toaster-ready Waffles (Classic and Cinnamon) and Pancakes (Classic and Chocolate Chip), as well as oven-baked filled Croissants (Chocolate), catering to an array of discerning tastes. Immediately frozen to keep the freshness inside and simply cooked straight from the freezer in under five minutes, the range is ideal for any morning of the week and is aimed at providing families with an alternative to the regular choice of toast and cereal, which currently make up 87% of morning occasions[1].

To support the new range, Birds Eye is launching a £3m marketing campaign including TV, VOD, digital advertising and in-store.

The campaign, which launches in May 2016, sees the revival of Birds Eye’s jaunty, instantly-recognisable Waffly Versatile jingle, which rose to popularity in the 1980s when the brand launched Potato Waffles. Rejuvenated for the hero line of toastable waffles, the jingle highlights the numerous taste possibilities Hello Morning! has to offer and provides Brits with fun and exciting alternatives to the everyday toast and cereal.

Birds Eye UK Marketing Director, Steve Chantry, comments: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet the one we give the least amount of time and thought to. What better way to make people excited about our Hello Morning! Range than by bringing back our iconic Waffly Versatile advertising, revamped for a new & exciting class of waffle! Our breakfast range is just as versatile as potato waffles have proven to be over 35 years, and we hope they’ll be successful in delighting the tastebuds of just as many Brits.

“We know that breakfast makes up more than one in five of all meal occasions, yet frozen plays a role in only 1%. As the leading frozen food brand, there is a huge opportunity for Birds Eye to drive interest in the category and disrupt the traditional and boring routine of cereal or toast. We anticipate that by the end of the year, we will add £9m to the frozen breakfast occasion.”

Birds Eye’s new Hello Morning! breakfast range will be available from 14th March with a RRP of £1.79 and will be available from Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco (including Tesco Express), Iceland and Ocado. Live at launch, the new range will also feature a ‘Try Me Free’ message across 1.6 million packs to drive consumer trial.

Students flip thanks to pancake donation

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Students flip thanks to pancake donation

Oakland Pancake1aPupils at Ipsley CE RSA Academy are ‘flipping’ delighted thanks to Redditch charity the Oakland Foundation who have donated pancake batter to help make Pancake Day flippin marvellous.

Foundation trustee, Hayley Smith, stated: “We were delighted to be able to support the school’s Pancake Day celebrations. Providing pupils with free pancake batter allows the school to take part in this annual celebration, and helps explain the background and origins of Shrove Tuesday.”

Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional day of feasting before Ash Wednesday, and the 40 days of Lent leading up to Easter. Shrove Tuesday enables Christians and those observing the Lent practice, to use up their surplus eggs and fats before embarking upon the traditional Lenten fast.

Ipsley CE RSA Academy Year 5 pupil, Mya Wigg, said: “Thank you to Oakland for my yummy pancake! This year I am giving up chocolate for Lent.”

Oakland International Growth Continues in Ireland

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Oakland International Growth Continues in Ireland

Supply chain and food distribution specialist Oakland International is set to continue recruiting during 2016 following last year’s growth trend which saw a 20% increase in its County Meath workforce.

Oakland Richard Hill2Oakland International General Manager, Richard Hill, commented: “Oakland International grew employee numbers by 20% in Ireland during 2015 and so far this year we have already added a further two employees to our team.

“Business like for like sales growth increased by 26% with customer numbers up as we maintained focus on providing a premium service to suppliers and retailers. With cost a major factor in product success we will continue to work hard to ensure we avoid driving costs into the supply chain.”

Working with Irish producers of all sizes to access UK retail, Oakland provides, through their UK based facility, a specialised Distressed Load Management service which reduces food wastage following the effects of consignment damage or loss.

XPO Logistics manager wins FSDF Future Leader Award

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

XPO Logistics manager wins FSDF Future Leader Award

Kane Thomason, an XPO Logistics site operations manager at the company’s temperature-controlled facility in Grimsby, has won the inaugural Future Leader Award from the Food Storage and Distribution Federation (FSDF).

XPO Logistics is one of the UK’s leading providers of frozen and ambient supply chain solutions for food manufacturers. Mr Thomason is responsible for coordinating daily operations at the Grimsby site.

FSDF honoured Mr Thomason with the award for demonstrating strong potential to make a positive contribution to the overall development of the industry. He will represent the UK’s temperature-controlled storage and distribution sector at the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) NextGen final in Las Vegas later in the year.

Richard Cawston, managing director, supply chain – UK and Ireland for XPO Logistics, said: “We’re delighted that Kane’s commitment to excellence has been recognised by the FSDF.”

“Throughout my career at XPO Logistics, I have had a diverse range of opportunities to progress, learn and develop,” said Mr Thomason. “In addition to my personal achievements, this award acknowledges the support and encouragement of the company that has invested in me along the way. I’m looking forward to the challenge of representing XPO Logistics and the UK at the GCCA final in the U.S.”