Tues 18th Nov, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London

CHEP EUROPE GETS HIGHEST RATING IN ECOVADIS SUPPLIER SURVEY

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

CHEP EUROPE AWARDED HIGHEST RATING IN ECOVADIS SUPPLIER SURVEY

CHEP, the supply chain solutions company, has recently been awarded an EcoVadis Gold Recognition Level in Europe. This is the highest level of award available, awarded for environmentally conscious development and achievements in areas concerning the environment, labour practices, fair business practices, and supply chain.

Of all the suppliers assessed, CHEP Europe is in the top 5% of performers evaluated by EcoVadis. The company scored particularly highly in the labour practices category, where it was ranked in the top 4% by EcoVadis.

EcoVadis is an independent rating agency which specialises in sustainable development and performance monitoring, assessing 20,000 suppliers from 101 countries and across 150 business sectors.

Its methodology is built on international Corporate Social Responsibility standards including the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact and the ISO 26000, covering 150 spend categories. The review is overseen by a committee of scientific experts to ensure reliable third-party assessment.

Michael Pooley, CHEP President for European Pallets operations in Europe2CHEP Europe President, Michael Pooley said: “This recognition from EcoVadis is a great reward for our efforts. We have set ourselves challenging five-year targets and will work hard to ensure we become even more sustainable in the future. CHEP´s business model is intrinsically sustainable. We are focused on building a long-term, sustainable business that serves our customers, employees, shareholders and the communities in which we operate.”

CHEP is one of the main operating brands of Brambles Limited, a supply-chain logistics company operating in more than 60 countries. Brambles is a signatory to the UN’s Global Compact and is closely aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Coolicious Gives the Inside Scoop on Frozen Yogurt at Casual Dining Show

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Coolicious Gives the Inside Scoop on Frozen Yogurt
at Casual Dining Show [Stand U105]

Lakeland Dairies Coolicious Fat Free Soft Serve Frozen YogurtCoolicious Frozen Yogurt – a brand of Taste Trends Limited – will be on stand U105 at the Casual Dining Show (24th – 25th February 2016, Business Design Centre, London) highlighting the increasing trend for frozen yogurt options out-of-home – a market estimated to be worth £167m by 2019*.

Visitors will be able to sample Coolicious Fat Free Soft Serve Frozen Yogurt which is available in a wide range of flavours from authentic yogurt to fruity and indulgent varieties. They will also have the opportunity to discover the different options suitable for a ‘counter service’ or ‘self-serve’ environment, while finding out how it can lead to refreshingly healthy profits thanks to an 80% profit margin.

Lakeland Coolicious - Mango MomentThe Coolicious team has also created a variety of smoothie and shake recipes with frozen yogurt for visitors to try at the show – from an energising breakfast option to an afternoon pick-me-up shake – and will be demonstrating how Coolicious Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Smoothie Base can support operators through all day dining. With recent research** finding that over a quarter of consumers would like to see more smoothies on the breakfast menu and 26% wanting to see shakes offered as a snack, there is a clear opportunity for operators to consider increasing these options throughout the day.

Richard Drane, Managing Director of Taste Trends Limited, comments: “With recent research** finding that 87% of consumers want to see more smoothies on menus and 84% crave more shakes, demand is clearly on the rise. We’re looking forward to meeting operators at the Casual Dining Show and demonstrating how our Coolicious Fat Free Soft Serve Frozen Yogurt and Coolicious Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Smoothie Base can aid effective menu planning while boosting the bottom line. Come over to stand U105 to find out more!”

In addition to meeting the demand for smoothies and shakes, operators can further increase profits by offering options made with fat free frozen yogurt, particularly as 72% of people prefer the thick texture it provides and 64% of consumers would choose it in their milkshake instead of ice cream**.

Richard continues: “While demand for smoothies and milkshakes is strong, operators could be missing out on even more sales by not offering options made with a fat free frozen yogurt base. When it comes to delicious smoothies and shakes it really is all about the base. Our Coolicious Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Smoothie Base has been developed to support operators in creating the creamy yet low fat shakes consumers crave, while delivering the balanced taste and thick texture demanded of smoothies – it’s a sure fire way to increase profits.”

Coolicious Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Smoothie Base is available in Just Vanilla, Simply Strawberry and Mango Moment flavours.

In addition to the activity on stand U105, Coolicious Frozen Yogurt will also be part of the Innovation Challenge Showcase on the Upper Feature Level at Casual Dining Show. Please vote to give Coolicious Frozen Yogurt the opportunity to pitch to a panel of industry judges and the chance to be part of the 2016 Innovation Challenge Awards.

With over 20 years of experience, Coolicious is the UK’s best-selling frozen yogurt in foodservice and sells more than 17 million portions each year.

*Horizons January 2016 **Toluna/Coolicious June 2015

For more information, please call 0845 33 77 017 or visit www.coolicious.com

Megadeals in food and beverage serve up record highs

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Megadeals in food and beverage serve up record highs

It was a strong finish to a very good year for activity in the UK food and beverage sector. What’s in store for 2016?

Our latest edition of Bite Size, a quarterly overview of activity in the UK food and beverage (F&B), sector provides analysis of M&A activity in the last quarter of 2015, as well as the year in review and looks ahead to the trends we believe will shape the market in 2016.

Click here to read more.

MALTESERS TEASERS MULTI-PACK LAUNCHED

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

MALTESERS TEASERS MULTI-PACK LAUNCHED

Mars Teasers IC 4 PackMars Ice Cream is launching its successful MALTESERS TEASERS ice cream in a four-pack capitalising on the trend for in-home treats to share, the growing popularity for ice cream on a stick and the brand strength of MALTESERS.

More than £10 million will be invested in supporting MALTESERS this year as this iconic brand celebrates its 80th birthday. In Great Britain, a pack of MALTESERS is bought every five seconds which demonstrates the huge consumer desire for the famous malty taste.

Last year, sales of the single variant of MALTESERS TEASERS ice cream grew by some 13%* which helped contribute to ice cream on a stick becoming the most popular format in the growing wrapped handheld category**.

Phil Shaw, general manager for Mars Ice Cream says: “With ice cream being the third largest category for in-home treats and four- pack being the most popular pack format***, it was clear we were missing a trick with not having the well-loved MALTESERS TEASERS in this new pack format,

“With its eye-catching red packaging and familiar brand appeal, we are sure that the new pack format will soon become a firm favourite with retailers and consumers alike.”

MALTESERS TEASERS ice cream has crunchy mini MALTESERS pieces floating in a creamy dairy ice cream covered in a chocolate layer to give consumers the perfect MALTESERS experience in an ice cream.

The MALTESERS TEASERS ice cream four-pack will be available from March 2016. RRP £3.35

Reed Boardall gets planning permission for cold store extension

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Reed Boardall granted planning permission for cold store extension

Keith (left) and Marcus Boardall
Keith (left) and Marcus Boardall

Temperature controlled food distribution business Reed Boardall has been granted planning permission for a 110,000sq ft extension to one of its largest and most modern cold stores.

Based on a 55 acre site in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, the company already provides 142,000 pallet capacity across its four state-of-the-art cold stores. The potential extension to Cold Store 4 would provide storage for an additional 30,000 pallets.

“As a company, we are constantly looking ahead and believe it’s important to be able to take advantage of market opportunities by being able to respond swiftly to our customers’ changing needs,” explains chief executive Keith Boardall. “Planning processes tend to be fairly lengthy and with demand for our services continuing to grow, we know that it is only a matter of time until we will need to expand our facilities further.

“With major changes in the supply chain expected, we are in a strong position to adapt our operations in line with customer requirements whether this means increasing our cold storage capacity or adding ancillary services.”

Reed Boardall is one of the largest temperature controlled food distribution businesses in the UK, storing and delivering frozen food from manufacturers across Britain, Europe and further afield to all the UK’s best-known supermarkets. Operating 24/7, its 180-strong fleet of vehicles moves an average of 12,000 pallets a day and it stores around £100m worth of products on behalf of its customers. It is based at a single site in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, which is the largest of its kind in Europe.

Cash In Your Chips with Aviko and McCormick

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Cash In Your Chips with Aviko and McCormick

AVI11913 - Cash in Your Chips - Co-branded Creative. - V3.inddOperators stand to generate up to a massive 87% profit per portion of chips* by pairing Aviko’s Premium Fries with Schwartz Chip Seasoning from McCormick Flavour Solutions.

The impressive profit potential has been calculated as part of the joint ‘Cash In Your Chips’ campaign, created to highlight the opportunities for caterers that trade up their fries. By switching from standard chips to Aviko’s Premium Fries – such as Supercrunch, Superlong or Sweet Potato Fries – and then adding a sprinkling of Schwartz Chip Seasoning – a blend of spices including paprika and black pepper – caterers can easily turn a plain portion of chips into a side of gourmet fries. Not only does this provide a tasty twist to satisfy the appetite of even the most discerning chip lover, but for the caterer it’s an ideal opportunity to upsell and increase profits.

Mohammed Essa, General Manager, Aviko UK & Ireland, comments: “We’re not asking caterers to take a gamble here, it’s a win-win situation and the sums clearly stack up. Caterers can charge 48p more for a serving of our Premium Fries versus regular chips, plus 25p extra for adding Chip Seasoning – that’s over 70p more per portion! With fries accounting for a massive 73% of the servings of potato products in the foodservice market**, it really is time to cash in your chips!”

The profit potential is based on Aviko’s Superlongs, frozen fries which, as their name suggests, are longer than average chips. This provides a greater plate fill, and, therefore, more portions per kilogram while providing consumers with a more premium option.

Schwartz Chip Seasoning, which is available in a 300g shaker jar and can be sprinkled over cooked chips before serving.

Al Thaker, McCormick Marketing Manager, adds: “With consumers always on the lookout for new flavours, adding seasoned chips to the menu is a great way for operators to satisfy demand while boosting average spend.

“We’re extremely excited to be teaming up with Aviko to bring a new flavour dimension to a staple and popular product. By combining our expertise in seasonings with a premium brand of fries, caterers can tap into a huge revenue and profit potential that they’re otherwise missing out on.”

To celebrate this profit making partnership, Aviko and McCormick are offering caterers the opportunity to cash in their chips for real and win a trip for two to the casino capital of the world, Las Vegas. Caterers simply need to visit www.seasonyourchips.co.uk between Monday 1st February and midday on Friday 1st April and fill in their details to enter the free prize draw.

*A full breakdown of how the calculation has been worked out can be found by visiting www.seasonyourchips.co.uk
** AHDB Potatoes

For more information on the Cash In Your Chips joint campaign please visit www.seasonyourchips.co.uk

For more product information on Aviko’s extensive range call 0800 633 5611 or visit www.aviko.co.uk
For everything Aviko visit: www.twitter.com/avikouk

Aiming to set new record at region’s biggest foodservice event

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

M.J. Baker Foodservice aiming to set new record at region’s biggest foodservice event

Leading independent wholesaler M.J. Baker Foodservice is aiming to set a new record for deals completed at its upcoming annual trade show.

The Newton Abbot-based business, which runs the biggest foodservice event in the West Country, aims to top the £350,000 worth of business concluded at its 2015 show.

Around 700 foodservice professionals are expected to attend this year’s event on March 10 at Newton Abbot Racecourse.

The free-to-visit trade show will feature new and best selling products from some of the UK’s leading suppliers and leading independent food manufacturers from across Devon and Cornwall.

All exhibitors will be offering one-off deals to visitors, with orders made on the day delivered over a seven week period.

M.J.Baker’s managing director Malcolm Baker
M.J.Baker’s managing director Malcolm Baker

Managing director Malcolm Baker said: “More than 600 people attended the 2015 event, and we’re aiming to improve on the £350,000 worth of business concluded last year.

“Our show is the biggest of its kind in the region, and gives wholesalers a fantastic opportunity to show caterers across Cornwall and Devon their new lines and products.

“Household names like Heinz, Nestle, Mars and Unilever will all be present, with trade show deals available exclusively on the day.

“What I think is really exciting about the show is the opportunity it provides local independent producers to showcase their products and reach a wider market.

“There’s some fantastic suppliers based across the West Country, and we take great pride in giving them an opportunity to reach new markets. .”

Bodmin-based supplier Proper Cornish Food Company will be among the suppliers taking part in the event.

One of the UK’s leading suppliers of traditional hand-made Cornish pasties, Proper Cornish will be exhibiting its best selling lines to attendees. It will also be unveiling two new products – a 6in chorizo sausage roll and a chicken, bacon and leek Cornish pasty.

Senior commercial manager Kevin Pugsley said: “The MJ Baker Foodservice trade show is one of the best attended events we exhibit at, and is a great opportunity to showcase our products.

“The event does really well on its deals – they put on some great offers that are very attractive ”

M.J. Baker Foodservice is the West Country’s leading independent foodservice supplier. Launched in 1999, the wholesaler supplies businesses and organisations across the West Country, including Somerset County Cricket Club and Exeter Chiefs rugby club. M.J. Baker Foodservice is a member of Fairway Foodservice, a buying group made up of 17 independent wholesalers from across the UK, Ireland, Jersey, Spanish Costas and Balearic Islands.

Oakland Programme Benefits Ipsley CE RSA Academy Students

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Oakland Programme Benefits Ipsley CE RSA Academy Students

Redditch charity, the Oakland Foundation, have launched a new and innovative young people’s project called ‘The Oakland Programme’ as part of their ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility development and partnership with Ipsley CE RSA Academy.

The programme will run over a six-month period and will offer valuable workplace insights designed to enrich students’ academic experiences, with structured sessions aimed at raising aspirations and supporting future career choices.

Oakland PeteVaughan3Trustee, Peter Vaughan, commented: “The Oakland Programme will provide pupils with access to the world of work and add value to school based learning through first-hand workplace experience, as well as offering students the opportunity to explore the range of career choices available.”

Wearing a personalised hi-viz provided by the Foundation, the students will shadow members of the Charity’s key sponsor Oakland International’s team as they undertake daily routines. In their first week the students were given a guided tour of Oakland’s facilities, shadowed staff and taken part in educational sessions.