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BFFF VICE CHAIR ANNOUNCED

The Federation is pleased to announce that Steve Challouma, General Manager of Birds Eye UK and Ireland, has agreed to become the BFFF Vice Chair.

The role of the non-executive board is key for the Federation, it provides not only good governance but provides the BFFF executive team with an important reference point and sounding board.

Steve joined the BFFF Board last November and in the short time he has been on the Board has already shown a great desire to be involved and combines this with a vast wealth of experience in the frozen food market.

Professional Bio:

Steve Challouma is the General Manager of Birds Eye UK & Ireland, the leading branded business in Frozen Foods, encompassing the Birds Eye, Aunt Bessie’s and Goodfella’s brands. He has spent almost 25 years in the Frozen Food industry in a range of commercial roles spanning sales, category management and marketing. He was previously Marketing Director, where he led the brand team that turned around the Birds Eye brand, delivering four consecutive years of growth and winning the coveted Grocer Gold award in 2019 for Brand of the Year.

Steve is a passionate advocate for Frozen Food and has a long history at Birds Eye, starting his career as a Unilever graduate trainee in 1996 in Sales, before moving into Marketing in 2002. Highlights include the revitalisation of Captain Birds Eye as a brand icon after a 10-year hiatus – and working on the acquisitions and integration of the Goodfella’s and Aunt Bessie’s brands.

XPO LOGISTICS ANNOUNCES PUBLIC FILING OF FORM 10 REGISTRATION STATEMENT FOR PLANNED SPIN-OFF OF GXO LOGISTICS

XPO Logistics, a leading global provider of supply chain solutions, today announced the filing of a public Form 10 registration statement for GXO Logistics with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Form 10 was filed in connection with XPO’s planned spin-off of its logistics segment into a separate publicly-traded company. XPO expects to complete the spin-off in the third quarter of 2021, with GXO trading on the New York Stock Exchange and is pursuing an investment-grade rating for both companies — GXO from day one and XPO to follow.

 

In addition, the company filed supplementary financial information for GXO and XPO post-spin-off. The Form 10 and supplementary financial information are available on the company’s website at xpo.com/investors.

 

Brad Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of XPO Logistics, said, “GXO’s Form 10 public filing is a key step forward in our spin-off plan. The separation will create two pure-play powerhouses in the supply chain industry, XPO in transportation and GXO in logistics, each with enhanced prospects for growth.”

 

Malcolm Wilson, chief executive officer of XPO Logistics Europe and planned CEO of GXO, said, “GXO will have accelerated momentum out of the gate as an independent company, as reflected in the strong 2022 guidance we issued today. Our growth is being driven by customer demand for outsourcing and for two areas of logistics where we hold leading positions — warehouse automation and e-commerce.”

 

Raises Full-Year 2021 Guidance for Adjusted EBITDA

 

XPO has increased its expectation for Q2 2021 adjusted EBITDA to at least $490 million, driven by stronger-than-expected performance in its transportation segment. Consequently, the company has increased its outlook for full year 2021 adjusted EBITDA to at least $1.845 billion to $1.895 billion, compared with the prior guidance of $1.825 billion to $1.875 billion.

 

The new range for 2021 adjusted EBITDA reflects a year-over-year increase of 32% to 36% above 2020, comprised of:

 

  • 28% to 32% growth in adjusted EBITDA in the logistics segment
  • 32% to 36% growth in adjusted EBITDA in the transportation segment

 

Provides Full Year 2022 Guidance for GXO

 

The company has issued the following full-year preliminary 2022 guidance for GXO, the planned spin-off of its logistics segment, assuming a 2021 separation:

 

  • Organic revenue growth of 8% to 12% above pro forma 2021
  • Adjusted EBITDA of $700 million to $735 million, reflecting year-over-year growth of 14% to 20% above pro forma 2021
  • Adjusted EBITDAR of approximately $1.5 billion

 

Announces Investor Days

 

The company plans to hold an Investor Day to discuss the GXO spin-off on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, in New York and London on a date to be announced as air travel restrictions allow.

 

Unveils GXO.com

 

The company has launched a new website that provides insight into GXO’s best-in-class capabilities by vertical and service offering. Investors, customers and the media can register for automatic updates on the latest GXO news and progress of the spin-off at gxo.com.

 

About the GXO Spin-Off

 

XPO expects to spin off its logistics segment in the third quarter of 2021 as GXO Logistics, creating two pure-play industry powerhouses. The separation would create two independent public companies with distinct investment identities and service offerings in vast addressable markets. GXO would be the second-largest contract logistics company in the world, and XPO would be a leading provider of transportation services, primarily less-than-truckload transportation and truck brokerage. Completion of the spin-off is subject to various conditions, and there can be no assurance that the transaction will occur or, if it does occur, of its terms or timing. For more information, visit gxo.com.

 

About XPO Logistics and XPO Logistics Europe

XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO) provides cutting-edge supply chain solutions to the most successful companies in the world. The company is the second-largest contract logistics provider and the second-largest freight broker globally, and a top three less-than-truckload provider in North America. XPO uses a highly integrated network of 1,629 locations and over 100,000 employees in 30 countries to help more than 50,000 customers manage their supply chains most efficiently. The company’s corporate headquarters are in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA, and its European headquarters are in Lyon, France.

Visit europe.xpo.com for more information, and connect with XPO on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

 

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

 

As required by the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), we provide reconciliations of the non-GAAP financial measures contained in this press release to the most directly comparable measure under GAAP, which are set forth in the financial tables attached to this release.

 

XPO’s and GXO’s non-GAAP financial measures used in this release include: adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“adjusted EBITDA”) and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent expense (“adjusted EBITDAR”).

 

Adjusted EBITDA includes adjustments for transaction and integration, as well as restructuring costs and other adjustments as set forth in the attached tables. Transaction and integration adjustments are generally incremental costs that result from an actual or planned acquisition, divestiture or spin-off and may include transaction costs, consulting fees, retention awards, and internal salaries and wages (to the extent the individuals are assigned full-time to integration and transformation activities) and certain costs related to integrating and converging IT systems. Restructuring costs primarily relate to severance costs associated with business optimization initiatives. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in making financial, operating and planning decisions and evaluating XPO’s, GXO’s and each business segment’s ongoing performance.

 

Adjusted EBITDAR excludes rent expense from Adjusted EBITDA and is useful to management and investors in evaluating GXO’s performance because adjusted EBITDAR considers the performance of GXO’s operations, excluding decisions made with respect to capital investment, financing and other non-recurring charges. Adjusted EBITDAR is also a measure commonly used by management, research analysts and investors to value companies in the logistics industry. Since adjusted EBITDAR excludes interest expense and rent expense, it allows management, research analysts and investors to compare the value of different companies without regard to differences in capital structures and leasing arrangements.

 

With respect to XPO’s full year, 2021 financial targets for adjusted EBITDA and GXO’s full-year 2022 financial targets for adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDAR, a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to the corresponding GAAP measures is not available without unreasonable effort due to the variability and complexity of the reconciling items described above that we exclude from these non-GAAP target measures. The variability of these items may have a significant impact on our future GAAP financial results. As a result, we are unable to prepare the forward-looking statement of income and statement of cash flows prepared in accordance with GAAP that would be required to produce such a reconciliation.

 

Forward-looking Statements

 

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements, including the statements above regarding plans, benefits and timing of the contemplated spin-off transaction. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “should,”

“will,” “expect,” “objective,” “projection,” “forecast,” “goal,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “effort,” “target,” “trajectory”, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. However, the absence of these words does not mean that the statements are not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the company in light of its experience, and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors the company believes are appropriate in the circumstances.

 

These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to a material difference include the risks discussed in our filings with the SEC and the following: economic conditions generally; the severity, magnitude, duration and aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic and government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; our ability to align our investments in capital assets, including equipment, service centers and warehouses, to our customers’ demands; our ability to implement our cost and revenue initiatives; our ability to successfully integrate and realize anticipated synergies, cost savings and profit improvement opportunities with respect to acquired companies; matters related to our intellectual property rights; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; fuel price and fuel surcharge changes; natural disasters, terrorist attacks or similar incidents; risks and uncertainties regarding the potential timing and expected benefits of the proposed spin-off of our logistics segment, including final approval for the proposed spin-off and the risk that the spin-off may not be completed on the terms or timeline currently contemplated, if at all; the impact of the proposed spin-off on the size and business diversity of our company; the ability of the proposed spin-off to qualify for tax-free treatment for U.S. federal income tax purposes; our ability to develop and implement suitable information technology systems and prevent failures in or breaches of such systems; our substantial indebtedness; our ability to raise debt and equity capital; fluctuations in fixed and floating interest rates; our ability to maintain positive relationships with our network of third-party transportation providers; our ability to attract and retain qualified drivers; labor matters, including our ability to manage our subcontractors, and risks associated with labor disputes at our customers and efforts by labor organizations to organize our employees; litigation, including litigation related to alleged misclassification of independent contractors and securities class actions; risks associated with our self-insured claims; risks associated with defined benefit plans for our current and former employees; and governmental regulation, including trade compliance laws, as well as changes in international trade policies and tax regimes; governmental or political actions, including the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union; and competition and pricing pressures.

 

All forward-looking statements set forth in this release are qualified by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated by us will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to or effects on us or our business or operations. Forward-looking statements set forth in this release speak only as of the date hereof, and we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, changes in expectations or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except to the extent required by law.

 

 

UK’S NCSC WARN ABOUT RECENT RANSOMWARE CYBER-ATTACK

Members may have seen media coverage this weekend relating to a very significant ransomware cyber-attack on Kaseya, a US software supplier company, leading to retailers in Sweden experiencing indirect but significant impacts.

The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a statement with a link to their guidance on supply chain cyber security. Please see below and feel free to share within your networks:

NCSC statement on Kaseya incident – NCSC.GOV.UK

If you are a Kaseya customer, the NCSC suggests that you read the company’s incident update page , which recommends that people who have been affected do not click on any links emailed to them by the attackers as they could be malicious.

NEW INTEGRATION PARTNER: FOODSERVICE ONLINE

New Integration Partner: Foodservice Online – the Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM

2021 has already yielded some exciting developments here at Erudus, and now we’re happy to announce another huge step forward in our goal to improve the sharing of food data – the Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM.

A collaboration between Erudus and Foodservice Online – the web agency specialising in the Wholesale sector, this new product information management solution comes fully integrated with the Erudus Data Pool, and makes it quicker and easier than ever before for Wholesalers to manage and enrich their product data – perfect for those looking to enhance their data quality whilst saving time and money.

With the Wholesale industry in the midst of a digital transformation, a solution such as this has never been more timely, as Foodservice Online CEO Richard Fletcher explains. “PIM is an essential component of a successful ecommerce strategy. It also enhances more traditional sales and marketing functions such as print and customer requests for bespoke data formats.”

All in all, it’s going to make things better for everyone in the supply chain so here’s everything you need to know about our new partnership with Foodservice Online, and its results – the Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM

Akeneo is perfectly placed for PIM (Product Integration Management)

Richard Fletcher says: “Akeneo is a cloud-based solution that is simple to integrate with any ERP/back-office solution. Akeneo can also be integrated with any ecommerce platform or 3rd-party procurement portals. Akeneo improves the way that businesses collect and store data (from any source) and how they distribute data to multiple sales and marketing channels. It also enriches and controls the quality of data. As the leader in open source Product Experience Management, Akeneo offers a Akeneo PIM provides a robust set of enterprise-level features and capabilities that help foodservice Wholesalers deliver more detailed and compelling customer experiences.”

And Erudus have the data everyone needs

Richard says: “Erudus are the leading source of accurate and up-to-date product data in the foodservice sector. Trusted and with widespread utilisation, Erudus data plays a key role in helping foodservice Wholesalers to promote their products and services.”

So this is the ideal collaboration for them

Richard says: “Working closely with Erudus, we have designed a PIM solution specifically for foodservice Wholesalers who are looking to improve the quality of their product data whilst reducing the time and cost it takes to manage and share.”

Several Erudus attributes prompted the Akeneo PIM extension to come about…

Richard says: “The Erudus features that interested [Foodservice Online] the most were

  • Product data feed
  • Image Hub
  • API connectivity

And now we have built a custom extension for Akeneo PIM that connects the Erudus database to Akeneo. The extension also includes a range of Akeneo user interface enhancements.”

…And it presents many benefits to its users

Richard says: “The Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM allows you to:

  • Connect your Erudus account to Akeneo PIM in just a few seconds – Simply add your Erudus API credentials into the Erudus settings menu in Akeneo PIM and your Erudus account is connected.
  • Manage Erudus product mappings from within Akeneo PIM – Save time by managing ‘local product code’ Erudus mapping directly within Akeneo PIM.
  • Compatible with Erudus Image Hub – Access thousands of product images from the Erudus Image Hub within Akeneo PIM.
  • Use EANs to automatically map your products to the Erudus database – Utilise your EAN data to automatically check the Erudus database for new and updated product mappings.
  • Decide which Erudus attributes to use in your enrichment process – An easy to use configuration wizard in Akeneo PIM allows you to choose which Erudus attributes to synchronise and how they are mapped to your own taxonomy.
  • Synchronise Akeneo PIM with Erudus and preview product data in real-time – Automated background processes continuously check the Erudus database for new and updated product data.
  • Compliment Erudus product data with your own unique content – Combine your own unique content such as images and descriptions with Erudus’s product data to create exceptional product experiences.
  • View Erudus data from within Akeneo PIM in a dedicated Erudus tab – A dedicated Erudus tab within the Product Edit page in Akeneo PIM allows you to preview what data is available from Erudus for a particular product, including images and PDF specification sheets.
  • Approve or reject changes to Erudus data from within the Akeneo Approvals Dashboard – Use the Approvals feature within Akeneo PIM to manage changes to Erudus data. Accept or reject updates quickly from a dedicated Erudus dashboard.
  • Make incomplete data easy to spot – Leverage Akeneo PIM’s completeness engine to improve the supervision of your product data and raise standards.
  • Create a direct connection between suppliers and your own systems – Leave Erudus in control of chosen attributes for a direct connection between Akeneo PIM and your supply chain.
  • Improve the way you manage product data across all your sales channels – From ecommerce and marketplaces, to print and individual customer requests, the Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM can help you improve the quality of your product data whilst reducing the time and cost it takes to manage and share.

The integration will help Wholesalers adapt to the emerging industry challenges

Richard says: “Product information is an essential part of a successful ecommerce strategy. From allergens and ingredients to rich descriptions, videos and images, modern buyers rely on product information to make fast and effective purchasing decisions. Increasingly, buyers are relying on digital sales channels to serve their information needs and PIM significantly improves a foodservice Wholesalers ability to successfully satisfy these requirements.”

The Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM allows businesses to move with the times and avoid being left behind

Richard says: “As a senior decision-maker in foodservice, do you need a PIM? A good way to answer this question to look at your own personal online habits. Do you buy products and services online from businesses that are unable to provide good images, descriptions, and technical details? The answer is “no”.
Foodservice Wholesalers who are unable to satisfy their customer’s needs in relation to product information risk falling behind and becoming less and less competitive over time. On the contrary, foodservice Wholesalers who capitalise on the product information opportunity stand to be more successful now and in the future.”

Erudus believes the solution’s slickness and ease of use is a game changer

Erudus COO Jon Shyaler says: ‘I’m really excited about the Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM – as an integration it couldn’t be slicker or more seamless. I’m proud that Erudus and Foodservice Online have pushed so hard to reach a level of sophistication with this solution that makes it easier for Wholesalers to enrich their product data than ever before. Giving Wholesalers more control over how they present data is something very important to us, as well as casting the net of the Erudus data as wide as possible – and I believe that this partnership is going to help on both fronts.”

Head on over to our Powered by Erudus extension for Akeneo PIM solutions page or Foodservice Online to find out more.

 

BIRDS EYE UNVEILS NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO ADD MAGIC TO MEALTIMES THROUGH CHICKEN RANGE

Birds Eye is launching a brand-new marketing campaign to celebrate its much-loved chicken range. Launching on the 5th July, the activity will tap into the quality and versatility of the Birds Eye products – following them being firm favourites with shoppers during the pandemic.

After an outstanding performance (+37%) over the last few years[1], the advert will introduce a new character, The Chicken Witch of the West, to help amplify the taste and versatility of the chicken range even further. The Chicken Witch of the West will be seen helping transform every meal into something delicious using Birds Eye products – all made from 100% chicken breast. To showcase the broad appeal of the range, the campaign will celebrate two parts of the range – Birds Eye’s Chicken Grills, which currently holds 56.7% of the sector[2], and Chicken Dippers, the 5th biggest SKU within savoury frozen*[3]. To help all channels benefit from driving consumer trial, this campaign is set to embrace and build upon the growing popularity Birds Eye is experiencing with its chicken range.

Sarah Koppens, Marketing Director at Birds Eye, comments: “We saw so many buying into the frozen chicken category during the pandemic and using Birds Eye chicken products in different ways across lunch time and in creating higher quality at-home dining experiences. As a family brand, we wanted to showcase how versatile our chicken products are for children and adults alike, and to encourage shoppers to experiment with our Chicken range, by taking some inspiration from The Chicken Witch of the West.

“We developed the character’s personality to be original and funny, imaginative and relatable, so it would appeal to both families and couples. We hope her dry sense of humour and culinary comments will tempt even more people to explore the chicken range and, as a result, make mealtimes more fun for everyone.”

The advert will air in two bursts, with the focus alternating between Chicken Grills and Dippers, between early July and December and will be amplified through social and digital assets too.

[1] MAT May’17-May’21 CAGR RSV, Nielsen, Total Coverage

[2] Nielsen, Total Coverage, Frozen Poultry Grills, 52w/e 22.05.2021

[3] NielsenIQ, Total Coverage, Savoury Frozen, 52w/e 22.05.2021

BFFF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM) – MONDAY 12TH JULY 2021

We would like to notify members that we are calling for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to seek approval to…

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Member Benefits

Exclusive Partnership deals on key products and services:

  • BFFF energy deals and rates
  • Vypr member deals and introduction
  • Defib Plus deals
  • Company Shop – membership
  • Mentor – MHE training health check

Exclusive access to networking opportunities and events:

  • Meet the Buyer events (retail & foodservice)
  • Annual Business Conference with networking dinner
  • Specialist H&S and Technical Conferences
  • Special interest groups (packaging, frozen food temperatures)
  • Annual Lunch
  • Awards Night
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