SIMPLY FRIES INSPIRES CHEFS

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

SIMPLY FRIES INSPIRES CHEFS

Creative dishes for food-to-go

Potato manufacturer Farm Frites is continuing its focus on creative recipes to support operators trying to create take away and home delivery menus through the Coronavirus crisis.

It’s #SimplyFriesProfitRise campaign was launched to support sustainable use of store cupboard ingredients for profitable kitchens producing minimal wastage. The campaign was an extension to its annual sustainability reports and reaction to the increasing prices seen with ingredients recently.

“In these testing times for foodservice and hospitality, our Simply Fries campaign could not be more relevant and we are putting more support behind it,” explains Nic Townsend, trade market marketer for Farm Frites UK & Ireland.

“We have produced recipe cards and will be sharing this inspiration through recipes and step by step videos on our social channels. There are so many considerations when it comes to a takeaway menu; cost, ease, convenience and the suitability of delivery for certain product types.

“We want to support businesses who are going through this process to extend or set up their takeaway menus. When ingredients are scarce and in low supply, we aim to help maximise sales and maintain a level of business in these challenging times.”

The recipes find a use for a range of vegetables, proteins and spices and sauces; whether mixing into mash, layering over fries or wedges, making alternate burgers or pancakes with potato cakes and a host of other inspiring ideas. There are even recipes which mix ice cream and fries for those with a sweet tooth.

“We have always thought that almost anything goes when it comes to loaded fries and in these challenging times cost effective dishes like this seem to hit the spot. We are looking to be inspired as much as inspire and would love to see everyone’s lockdown delights!” concludes Nic.

Follow Farm Frites on Instagram @farmfritesuk and share with #SimplyFriesProfitRise.

GET FRESH WITH DAWN’S NEW LIME AND MINT COMPOUND

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

GET FRESH WITH DAWN’S NEW LIME AND MINT COMPOUND

Dawn Foods has added a naturally vegan GET FRESH WITH DAWN’S NEW LIME AND MINT COMPOUND to its range of fruit Compound flavouring pastes.

With its fresh, on trend flavour combination, and a nod to the popular Mojito cocktail, Dawn’s new Compound is made with real lime juice concentrate and a hint of spearmint.

The Lime & Mint Compound can be added to mousses, non-dairy creams, ice creams, fillings and frostings to give a delicious summery flavour. The compound benefits from a low water content that allows a wide application in bakery and desserts. Only a small amount is needed to add a flavoursome punch and a subtle hue to fillings and toppings to transform bakes such as muffins, desserts and patisserie.

Like all the fruit Compounds in the Dawn range, the Lime & Mint variant is made with natural flavours and colours. Pectin, which is found naturally in fruit, is used as the binding ingredient in this product. This means that the Compound is all natural as well as vegan-friendly. It makes an ideal complementary topping for muffins made with Dawn Vegan Crème Cake Mix for example.

Dawn’s chefs have come up with some delicious recipe inspiration using the Lime & Mint Compound for this summer such as Ice Pops, Chocolate Cake, Summer Rolls and a Lime and Mint dessert in a glass, all available on www.dawnfoods.com.

Dawn offers 15 fruity Compounds featuring high quality ingredients and popular flavours, from Strawberry, Cherry, Pomegranate and Blueberry to Mango, Pineapple and Passionfruit. Other products from the Compounds range feature fashionable ‘coffee shop’ flavours such as Cappuccino, Mocha, Caramel and Pistachio.

Bakers and caterers can pair Compounds with a range of Dawn neutral fillings, custard creams, stabilisers, icing, fondant and cold glazes to create a variety of flavour combinations. And since all the Compounds in the range have a standard viscosity, users will find application fast and easy.

Dawn Lime & Mint Compound is supplied ambient in 1kg sealable tubs for easy storage.

Iceland Seafood International – Invests in Significant Processing and Coldstore Capacity in the UK

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Iceland Seafood International – Invests in Significant Processing and Coldstore Capacity in the UK

We are today announcing a significant investment by Iceland Seafood International (Iceland Seafood) in its UK operations.

Iceland Seafood’s two UK subsidiaries Iceland Seafood Barraclough Ltd and Havelok Ltd will be combined as one legal entity, under one leadership team on a single manufacturing site. We have today secured the purchase of the previous 5 Star Fish Site on Great Grimsby Business Park, which provides 100,000 sq./ft of processing area and a 4,000 pallet Coldstore. Following a period of refurbishment, we are planning to transfer both the existing Havelok and Iceland Seafood Barraclough operations to the site. This process will be complete by early 2021, by which time we expect to have created no less than 30 new jobs.

The business will be led by our 2 existing UK Managing Directors; Peter Hawkins and Danny Burton, with Peter heading up the total operation and Danny overseeing the refurbishment of the site and operational teams. The business will be named Iceland Seafood UK (ISI UK).

Bjarni Ármannsson Iceland Seafood’s Chief Executive Officer said ‘following our NASDAQ main market listing in Iceland in October 2019 we raised €15.2m of new equity and announced our intent to make strategic investments in our key markets. The announcement today represents one of these. We have strong businesses and management teams in the UK and with the continued support of our existing customers, our people and our suppliers are confident that we can become stronger as a result of the merger of the 2 businesses on a new, large, well invested site. We look forward to growth in both our existing retail and food service markets and within this increasing the opportunities for Icelandic products in the UK market.’

Peter Hawkins, Managing Director of Iceland Seafood UK Ltd said ‘today’s announcement represents a very significant investment and vote of confidence by ISI PLC in the UK market and our team. We look forward to taking the best of our Bradford businesses sourcing expertise and Havelok’s manufacturing excellence to deliver outstanding quality and value to our existing retail and food service customers. The move represents a significant opportunity for all of our people to be part of what we anticipate becoming a leading UK fish and seafood manufacturing site.’

Danny Burton, Director of Iceland Seafood UK said ‘When we set Havelok up it was important to have the correct partners to allow us to reach our ambitions of becoming a leading supplier of seafood delivering excellent service, quality and innovation to the market and the support of Iceland Seafood through our journey has allowed us to meet our goal. This significant investment underlines Iceland Seafood’s commitment to Havelok and the UK seafood market and gives us the opportunity to build on the outstanding values of the Havelok team and offer a level of service and supply that is second to none.’

The refurbishment, merger and product transfer process will be complete by early 2021.

More Space for Redditch Foodbank to Support Local People

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

More Space for Redditch Foodbank to Support Local People

Oakland International Strategic Development Manager Peter Vaughan and Richard Sturdey from the Redditch Foodbank

The Redditch Foodbank has doubled its storage capacity to offer significantly more scope as referrals increase, with more families than ever in food crisis seeking help.

Between April 2018 and March 2019, the Foodbank fed 2,346 people compared an equivalent period of September 2014 to 2015, when they fed 1,436 people, demonstrating the scale of increase and the challenge faced by many people today across the borough.

A key partner is Oakland International, which has housed the Foodbank at its Beoley facility since it opened in 2013. Working in partnership with the Redditch Foodbank, which is part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, the foodbank uses Oakland International’s distribution hub in Beoley, Redditch to sort, store and distribute food. A multi temperature food storage, logistics and distribution business Oakland International provides its facilities free of charge.

Oakland International Strategic Development Manager Peter Vaughan commented: “As a family business Oakland International firmly believes businesses should play a leading role in supporting the community.

“The Redditch Foodbank had outgrown their original location so having identified a much larger area within our Beoley warehouse we were able to upgrade the Foodbank to a new facility which offers significantly more storage space for their expanding operations.”

From April 2018 to March 2019 of the 2,346 people fed by the Foodbank, 640 were children. 20% of the UK population live below the poverty line, including 8 million working-age adults, 4 million children and 1.9 million pensioners.

Richard Sturdey from the Redditch Foodbank commented: “We value the incredible generosity and support given to the Foodbank by Oakland International.

“We appreciate the new facility which has created a more efficient working environment and enabled us to process over 13 tonnes of donations during the Christmas period. Thanks to this partnership we were also able to pack and distribute 100 Christmas hampers to support local families in crisis.”

New Addition to Country Range’s Potato Offering

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Crispy Coated Skin On Fries Added to Country Range’s Potato Offering

On the back of growing demand for different styles of chips and servings and following the success of its Crispy Coated Shoestring, leading independent foodservice brand Country Range has added to its potato options with the launch of Crispy Coated Skin On Fries.

The new product, which comes in 2.5kg packs and is available through the network of 13 independent wholesalers who make up the Country Range Group, can be fried in less than 5 minutes meaning they are perfect for busy kitchens and canteens.

Country Range Crispy Coated Skin On Fries – These frozen potato fries are pre-fried in a crispy coating and are guaranteed to stay crispier for longer. They’re made to a consistent length of 9x9m and can fried in less than 5 minutes.

Vasita Jantabutara, Brand Manager for the Country Range Group, said:

“Whether loaded with the latest on-trend pulled meats, served alongside the juiciest burger or simply eaten with mayo or ketchup, chips continue to top the list of potato dishes for consumers so it’s vital operators of all sizes get theirs right. These easy and quick to use Crispy Coated Skin On Fries have a satisfying crunch and fluffy centre with every bite and can stand alongside the finest burger, steak, fish or vegetable dish and much more.”

About Country Range

With over 25 years of heritage servicing the UK’s innovative foodservice sector, the Country Range Group is made up of 13 independent wholesalers – Birchall Foodservice, Blakemore Foodservice, Caterite Foodservice, Creed Foodservice, Dunns Food and Drinks, EFG Foodservice, Harvest Fine Foods, Henderson Foodservice, Savona Foodservice, Savona Foodservice South West, Thomas Ridley Foodservice, Trevors Foodservice and Turner Price.

In addition to offering the leading brands from around the globe, the Group also provides over 800 products, all developed exclusively for professional caterers under the Country Range brand. Covering grocery, chilled, frozen and non-food, Country Range is widely recognised by caterers as a trusted and reliable brand delivering consistent quality and value for money without compromising on taste and flavour.

Website: www.countryrange.co.uk

Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @countryrangeuk

The BFFF Online Bulletin

Posted on April 16, 2020January 9, 2026 by Harry

The Time Is Now

As you will all know, the current Covid-19 pandemic has forced us all into looking at how we can conduct business differently. With many now working remotely and social distancing guidelines enforced, we felt it necessary to be ourselves, socially responsible.

The British Frozen Food Federation bi-monthly bulletin is going digital.

We have decided to limit the print run for the current issue of The Bulletin magazine thereby reducing the burden and risk placed on key workers like postal operatives.

The Voices of the British Frozen Food Federation

In this bimonthly issue of the bulletin we have the regular CEO update around everything the BFFF are doing and fighting for which you may not have seen through our social and email communications.

“It is clear from my meetings with members that they need support in certain areas that present complex challenges. To help with this we are launching the following Special Interest Groups”

Along with information from our recent successful events and articles from our very own industry experts; Denise Rion Head of Technical covering Campylobacter – the major cause of bacterial food poisoning in the UK and Simon Brentnall Head of Health and Safety covering the effective ways of managing contractors.

The Big Interview

This issues Big Interview is all about Steve Challouma, the Marketing Director for Birdseye.

“This was a very efficient brand model because we were able to minimise costs and use a ‘one size fits all’ approach.”

Steve talks to the British Frozen Food Federation about the journey he and the Birdseye brand have taken to get to the £500m brand it is today. With comments on how Birdseye are committing to key initiatives such as 100% MSC Certified Seafood in their fish portfolio, to help the industry wide issue of food waste and food security.

BFFF Member Activity

Learn about everything the valued BFFF members are doing; from companies expanding their operations to releasing new products, we love to help you shout about it throughout the Frozen Food Industry.

“Ground has broken on what will be one of the largest and most technologically-advanced coldstore facilities in France.”

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

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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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