Lee Tynan, Food Development Director at Creative Foods

Since the return of indoor dining on May 17^th our experience is that operators have been firmly focused on their core menus, most of which are built around dishes that are simple to prep, easy to serve, and very familiar to consumers – think of items such as beef/chicken burgers, and fish and chips. And, of course, they have concentrated on combining operational efficiency with effective social distancing for staff, both front and back of house, as well as for consumers naturally.

From a supplier perspective the most important thing for our customers right now is product availability. Many have simplified their menu and need to be sure that they can get the core items they require because they don’t have any alternatives. So, as a business we are focused on managing our production schedule in order to ensure that we are able to satisfy those needs. As we make the move back to the new normal the challenge caterers face will be refreshing their menu whilst not driving complexity. With this in mind the focus of our business, and our team of development chefs in particular, is on helping them to achieve this whilst keeping their menus on trend and without over complicating the products we develop. Our goal is to supply products that can feature right across their menus, instead of developing specific dishes that have no ability to ‘cross pollinate’.

Many operators re-opened in April with simplified “garden” menus which were then tweaked once customers were able to eat indoors again. Most have continued to operate with this hybrid “garden” menu rather than complicating things by adding too much in the way of innovation. Due to the current restrictions it is proving difficult for caterers to plan, especially with the changeable weather, uncertainty over bookings and the dreaded “no shows”. As things move on through the summer, I would expect to see menu changes start to occur, especially as we move into the dark-nights menus – which will hopefully follow a period of stability.

Fitting in with the trend towards simple, traditional favourites our Harvest Farm branded chicken products – including nuggets, fillets, and our bite size Pop-In chicken pieces have performed strongly in the month since the restrictions on indoor dining were relaxed. The great thing about these products for the operator is that they sit perfectly on both on-site AND home delivery/takeaway menus, an approach that many of them have been keen to embrace throughout the pandemic.

Creative Foods has tested and validated its range to ensure that its products will work for businesses and that it can continue to supply its customers even if they are forced to close. In case of any future lockdown, we will continue to offer products with an extended shelf life wherever possible in order to reduce the operator’s waste. In addition, our development team will ensure that the products we develop, and launch, are trend relevant in order to help caterers become more profitable and increase their footfall in the months ahead.

To find out more visit www.creativefoods.co.uk/brands-and-products.

Next generation cold storage facility set to be Australia’s largest 

Melbourne, Australia—June 28, 2021—Pioneering Netherlands-based cold chain logistics company, NewCold, is pleased to announce that it has signed Simplot Australia as new customers and is investing a further $160 million in its Victorian state-of-the art facility, bringing its total investment in Victoria to $460 million.

NewCold will more than double the size of its Melbourne 2 facility, providing customers with a powerhouse of advanced features and a seamless experience. At 43 metres high, the site will expand from 115,000 pallet positions to 225,000, an increase of 110,000 pallets. The extension will include 30,000 for ambient/chilled and 85,000 pallet positions for frozen goods.

It will be a one stop shop facility with ambient, chilled and frozen capabilities, setting new service standards. One of the largest automated high bays in the world, the site also includes a container park.

The expanded facility is scheduled to be operational in 2022. Simplot will transition all of its frozen products in 2023.

NewCold has a strong reputation in Europe and the United Kingdom and is currently expanding its footprint in North America; and building its presence in Asia Pacific.

Simplot Australia Managing Director, Graham Dugdale, said: “Simplot is excited to be partnering with NewCold on our future Victorian frozen warehouse solution. We were attracted to NewCold’s fully automated AS/RS high bay solution, world-class systems, energy efficiency, and productivity, which stand above conventional cold storage solutions. The new facility will ensure Simplot can continue to efficiently deliver the products that Australia’s leading retail and foodservice customers depend on and ultimately provide an improved customer experience.”

Bram Hage, Founder and CEO of NewCold said: “This is a great day for NewCold and the cold storage industry in Australia. It is very pleasing to see our continued investment and growth in Australia as we seek to build a long-term strategic relationship with Simplot. Our robust global pipeline includes the delivery of at least six new capital projects, as we continue to develop multiple large-scale automated facilities across Europe, Australia and North America. This momentum confirms a very positive future for customers and an innovation boost for the industry. As we continue to expand our global presence, we support local communities in efforts to foster economic growth and create high-quality employment opportunities.”

Abhy Maharaj, Executive VP, NewCold Business & Growth said: “Collaborating with respected partners like Simplot drives our success, as we share an ambition to transform the industry and reimagine the global food supply chain. We have invested and grown our regional head-office in Melbourne who will be leading the expansion development in close cooperation with our partners and stakeholders in Australia and Europe. We are confident that Oceania will continue to be an opportunity-rich region with at least another three new large-scale sites planned for development in the near future.”

The Melbourne cold storage facility will use state-of-the-art technology including automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) to automatically move and store products in the high-bay warehouse. The equipment and operators will be directed by NewCold’s proprietary advanced software systems, while products are kept in optimal conditions. This advanced cold chain solution ensures that processes are sustainable, traceable, fully integrated with the processes of NewCold’s customers, and always at the very forefront of technological developments. Mobilisation and construction activities started at the end of May 2021.