Page 420 — British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF)

DAWN EXPANDS VEGAN PORTFOLIO WITH GELATINE-FREE STABILISING FOND

Posted on May 19, 2021 by

Dawn Foods has further expanded its range of vegan-suitable ingredients with the launch of a range of gelatine-free Fonds to stabilise non-dairy and plant-based creams for use in mousses, bavarois and desserts. This versatile fond can also be with dairy cream.

Dawn Balance Gelatine Free Fonds enable bakers and chefs to stabilise, gelatinise, flavour, and sweeten cream in finished products without using animal gelatine, making the finished products suitable for a wide range of customers – vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian as well as saving costs on buying in different ingredients.

The new Fonds are available in Fruity, ideal for mixing with fruity flavours, Sweet, for use with non-fruit flavours and Chocolate, perfect for chocolate flavour applications. They can be used with dairy, non-dairy or plant-based creams with no compromise on performance. Bakers simply add the powdered gelatine-free Fond to the chosen base flavour – a compound, fruit puree or liquid for example, mixing together with water and whipped dairy cream for a vegetarian bavarois or mousse or whipped dairy-free cream for a vegan alternative.

With good solubility and stability, Dawn Balance Gelatine Free Fonds not only mean that finished patisserie and desserts have a consistent, taste, colour, and texture but use of the Fonds ensures excellent solidification and cut-ability of the mousse or bavarois. The Gelatine Free Fonds are also freeze and thaw stable.

For more information about the company, its products and culture, please visit www.dawnfoods.com.

IN WITH THE OLD AND BACK FROM THE 80S: FUNNY FEET ICE CREAM MAKES A RETURN TO ICELAND STORES

Posted on May 19, 2021 by mel.matson@iceland.co.uk

Iceland and The Food Warehouse are taking customers back to the 80s with the relaunch of Wall’s Funny Feet Ice Cream
The nostalgic foot shaped ice cream is available exclusively in-store from 14^th May and online from 18^th May, for just £3.00 per pack

To put a smile on everyone’s faces, Iceland and The Food Warehouse are going back in time and exclusively launching Wall’s Funny Feet Ice Cream (£3.00, 240g), giving shoppers the opportunity to reminisce on their childhood days. The deliciously pink ice cream is available in-store from Friday 14^th May and online from Tuesday 18^th May.

The strawberry flavoured delight, that was once the treat of choice for kids across the nation, is finally making a return, as Iceland launches Wall’s Funny Feet Ice Cream (£3.00, 240g), allowing customers to reminisce back to the 80s.

The box of ice creams contains six pink feet, which are perfect to entertain the kids. With summer just around the corner, who is ready to travel back in time and try a flavour of the past?

The classics don’t stop there, with the Barratts range of lollies in-store too, the original range of Flump, Fruit Salad, Black Jack and Dip Dab lollies sold out repeatedly in Summer 2020, and now the range is back, bigger and better than ever.

The exciting new flavours, inspired by iconic sweet shop favourites, are Wham Bars (£2.00, 4 pack), Sherbet Fountain (£2.00, 4 pack), Foam Banana (£2.00, 4 pack), Cola Bottle (£2.00, 6 pack), Milk Bottle (£2.00, 6 pack), Strawberry Milkshake (£2.00, 6 pack), Nougat (£2.00, 4 pack) and Anglo Bubbly (£2.00, 6 pack). The treats are designed to perfectly recreate that feeling of enjoying a special sweet and many of the treats include a fun nod to their original family favourite sweet namesakes.

For more information about Iceland’s wide range of ice cream and summer favourites to help Brits get into the summer spirit, please head in-store or visit: www.Iceland.co.uk.

ENDS

FSA’S ‘FOOD FOR THOUGHT’ SEMINARS

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

The Food Standards Agency are now running monthly lunchtime seminars aimed at creating an accessible knowledge hub to enable collaborative learning and networking on relevant topics across the food industry.

The ‘Food for Thought’ seminars are open to all, including government departments such as DEFRA, DWP, DHSC, HSE and PHE, local authority practitioners, academics, and students.

This is an opportunity to advance your knowledge within areas that are in line with the FSA’s research programmes (examples include food hypersensitivity, foodborne disease and food crime).

Please note that, unfortunately, they are unable to provide CPD certificates.

The seminars run for approximately one hour and times vary between 10am, 12noon and 2pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Please contact foodforthought@food.gov.uk if you’d like to sign up or if you have any questions.

APPLICATION DEADLINE LOOMS FOR INCENTIVE PAYMENT FOR HIRING A NEW APPRENTICE

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

The Government’s Apprenticeship Service have asked us to remind members that the deadline for employers to apply for the incentive payment for new apprentices hired between August 2020 and March 2021 is fast approaching. Eligible employers must apply for their incentive payment by the end of 31 May 2021.

Important Information:

Incentive payment for apprentices who joined organisations before 1 April 2021

Employers with apprentices who have a contract of employment start date between 1 August 2020 and 31 March 2021 and who also have a practical period (training) start date between 1 August 2020 and 31 May 2021 are eligible for an incentive payment
For new apprentices aged 16 to 24, employers will receive £2,000
For new apprentices aged 25 and over, employers will receive £1,500
Employers must apply for these apprentices by the end of 31 May 2021
Employers can visit the guidance page for more details

How to apply

Employers can apply for the incentive payment via the Finances section in their apprenticeship service account. For a walk-through of the process, employers can watch this support video.

Reminder: steps to take before employers apply

There are 6 steps employers need to have completed before they apply for an incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice:

They need to have registered an account on the apprenticeship service.
If they do not pay the apprenticeship levy, they need to have reserved funds in their apprenticeship service account.
They need to have recruited an apprentice.
They need to have added their apprentice to their apprenticeship service account.
They need to have agreed a start date for apprenticeship training to begin with their training provider.
They need to have accepted the latest version of the ESFA employer agreement.

If employers require support with any of these steps, they can watch these how-to videos or visit the Apprenticeship Service help portal, where they can access help articles, webchat with an adviser, call or text the helpline, or email the helpdesk.

Incentive payment for apprentices who join organisations from 1 April 2021

There has been a recent in incentive payments for hiring a new apprentice. Employers could receive £3,000 for new apprentices of any age who join their organisation from 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021. Visit the guidance page for more details.

ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK

Posted on May 19, 2021 by Lynne.Regent@anaphylaxis.org.uk

The countdown is on for our Allergy Awareness Week 2021, taking place this year from 24^th – 31^st May. We hope you can join us to raise awareness of The Anaphylaxis Campaign and to empower the allergic community, by giving those who need us the support to be positive and confident about managing their allergies.

How you can get involved?

As we start to return to some normality, we’d love for you to get involved in some of the fantastic activities we have planned during Allergy Awareness Week! Are you and your colleagues up for a team challenge walking (or jogging, or running!) 140,000 in 14 days to raise awareness of the 14 major allergens, or fancy whipping up some delicious allergy-friendly treats in the kitchen to sell at a coffee and cake morning? If so, we are here to help you organise something special.

AAW 2021 Workplace Fundraising Poster

OCADO IMPRESSED BY THERMO KING’S ADVANCER PERFORMANCE

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Online retailer orders 27 Advancer A400 units from Marshall Fleet Solutions for latest trailer fleet upgrade programme

Impressed by both the functionality and airflow of the first Thermo King Advancer A400 refrigeration system in its fleet, online retailer Ocado has now ordered 27 new Advancers in total, as part of a 46-strong all-Thermo King trailer refrigeration order for its 2021 trailer fleet upgrade requirements.

Supplied by Thermo King dealer Marshall Fleet Solutions, the new TK Advancer A400 units are fitted on Paneltex single temperature, double deck trailers that are being used for trunking from Ocado’s four main CFCs to their regional spoke sites.

“Since we took our first TK Advancer unit earlier this year, everything about them looks really good and ideally suited to our trunking operations. The improved unit functionality and airflow, as well as distinct advantages in fuel economy, means that the cost of ownership of the trailers with Advancers is a far better proposition for our business. As a result, we decided to increase the number of Advancers in our double deck fleet order this year, with a total of 27 new trailers being specified with Advancers and now going into service over the next few months,” said Graham Thomas, fleet operations manager – truck at Ocado Group plc.

The Thermo King Advancers form part of an overall trailer fleet upgrade at Ocado, with 46 new temperature-controlled trailers being added to their fleet during 2021, all of them featuring either Thermo King Advancer or TK SLXi refrigeration systems supplied, installed, and maintained by Marshall Fleet Solutions.

Graham continues, “From the very early days in our fleet, Advancer looked to be a game changer for us. We worked closely with both Marshall Fleet Solutions and Paneltex to incorporate as many Advancers as possible into our double deck fleet as quickly as possible.”

All 27 Thermo King Advancer refrigeration systems are being fitted on Paneltex 13.6m tri-axle, single compartment double deck trailers that will be covering in excess of 135,000 km per annum working on Ocado’s seven day a week trunking operation.

“Over the last 12 months during the pandemic, demand for our business has been insatiable with no signs of this dropping off as online home shopping becomes the new normal. Each of these TK Advancer trailers can hold the equivalent of 12 vans of groceries so they are playing a vital role in ensuring our business and operational needs are fully met,” added Graham.

The relationship between Ocado and Marshall Fleet Solutions goes back many years initially primarily as a refrigeration equipment supplier. However, in 2015 Ocado switched the repair and maintenance of its total Thermo King refrigeration fleet to Marshall Fleet Solutions as well, cementing the strong and growing relationship between the two companies.

“Marshall Fleet Solutions, and Thermo King, have been the mainstay supplier of our transport refrigeration equipment for many years. We find the relationship we have with them to be very proactive with great respect between the organisations and this strength allows Ocado to benefit from continuous improvement within its predominantly TK based temperature-controlled trailer fleet. The key accounts team at MFS communicate with us on a regular basis and we all work closely together to ensure maximum service improvements are implemented on an ongoing basis,” added Graham Thomas.

Ocado currently runs a fleet of 264 trailers in total, including 224 refrigerated and 40 ambient trailers. Double deck temperature-controlled trailers account for 147 of the refrigerated trailers with the remaining 77 trailers split between standard single and multi-temperature models.

“When Thermo King first revealed its launch plans for Advancer last year, we knew we had a truly innovative trailer refrigeration system that would change the face of the temperature -controlled transport and logistics industry. Through our close working relationship with the Ocado team, we also believed that Advancer would be a perfect fit for their intensive daily trunking operations. So, it’s pleasing to see how this partnership between our two companies has continued to grow and to see Ocado taking the lead by incorporating a significant number of Advancer systems into its double deck fleet for the first time this year,” said Mark Howell, managing director, Marshall Fleet Solutions.

Further information about the full range of Thermo King Advancer transport refrigeration systems from Marshall Fleet Solutions can be viewed on the MFS website at www.marshallfleetsolutions.co.uk

A few reasons to become a member of BFFF

To find out more about becoming a member call 01400 283 095 or email the team

Join BFFF

Member profile on BFFF website

Free BFFF Member List

Free listing in the annual Member Directory

Access to latest industry news and information

Weekly newsletter, press and media opportunities

Press and media opportunities

Marketing, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities

Networking via opportunities at BFFF events

Free market data provided by Circana and World Panel

Access to industry specialists

Expert guidance from Technical and Health & Safety teams

Access to Primary Authority schemes and assured advice

H&S Audit Service/Advice

Free access to HR and legal guidance and advice line

Training and Education

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

Become a member

Sponsorship Packages

We offer a range of sponsorship opportunities to BFFF members across our events throughout the year, with flexible packages that can be tailored to suit your business objectives.

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