Lamb Weston’s Hot2HomeTM claims Silver at the BFFF Awards!

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Lamb Weston’s Hot2Home^TM claims Silver at the BFFF Awards!

At Lamb Weston we’re excited to announce that our revolutionary Hot2Home^TM Fries has scooped a Silver Award in the British Frozen Food Federation’s (BFFF) Product Awards 2019.

The awards showcase the finest innovations and product excellence across the frozen category, culminating in a glittering awards event at the Park Lane London Hilton in June.

Hot2Home – launched in the UK last year and currently shaking up the world of fries delivery by keeping fries hot and crispy for an amazing 20 minutes – won Silver Award for Foodservice Best New Ingredient, Component or Accompaniment Product.

Andrea Deutschmanek, Lamb Weston’s Country Marketing Manager UK & ROI, said: “We’re so thrilled with our Silver Award! It’s an honour to receive this recognition of our pioneering product, invented to solve the problem of cold, soggy fries – a wasted opportunity for operators in a skyrocketing home delivery market. Hot2Home is an exciting, innovative solution which can boost sales, increase consumer satisfaction and create a more profitable home delivery business.

“Being inventive is part of our customer promise – that’s what they know and love us for. We understand our customers’ business, we are always exploring, imagining a better way.”

Hot2Home Fries works in a winning combination of two parts: newly developed fries with a special ultra-thin starch coating (a closely-kept secret recipe!) to ensure they stay crispy and flavourful longer – plus a patented packaging that works with the fries coating to stay hot and crispy for 20 minutes.

The foodservice awards are well respected throughout the catering industry as all the entries are impartially judged by representatives of the prestigious Craft Guild of Chefs, who, as executive chefs, catering managers and recipe developers, are expert in their field and uncompromising in their assessments of the entries.

Richard Harrow, BFFF Chief Executive, said: “Our Product Awards are testimony to the dynamism and development within the frozen category. Standards were exceptionally high, showcasing the very best in new product development and innovation. I’ve been really encouraged by the number of businesses and brands putting their products forward, which speaks volumes about the confidence they have in their offering, as well as the future of frozen.”

For innovative ideas, recipes and potato inspiration, head over to www.lambweston.eu/uk , call 0800 963962 or email us at salesUK@lambweston.eu

Register Your Interest in the Country Range Student Chef Challenge 2019/20

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Register Your Interest in the Country Range Student Chef Challenge 2019/20

Colleges and chef lecturers around the country are being urged to register their interest in the prestigious Country Range Student Chef Challenge 2019/20, run in conjunction with the Craft Guild of Chefs, following the highly anticipated announcement of this year’s theme.

The 2018/19 edition saw the Challenge celebrate its 25^th anniversary and it was Alan Coats, Ance Kristone and Andreau Talla of City of Glasgow College who took home the trophy, with students from Loughborough College and Carlisle College picking up second and third place respectively.

The 2019/20 Challenge will focus how students can use classic techniques and skills to maximise the use of ingredients and reducing on food wastage. With this in mind, teams of three full-time catering students will be required to plan, prepare and present a three-course, four-cover meal in just 90 minutes. The menu must include:

Starter – Flat fish, filleted and a sauce made from the bones. The dish must be served with appropriate garnish but must include one turned mushroom per portion.

Main – Three bone loin of pork, the eye of the meat must be used. The trim is to be used for a separate element e.g. faggot kebab or pie. Must be served with appropriate garnish including starch, vegetable and sauce.

Dessert – Lemon tart with a modern twist

Teams will compete in regional heats in the last week of January to the first week of February 2020 before the victorious students face-off in the grand final, which will this year take place at the Hospitality, Catering and Restaurant (HRC) Show at London’s ExCel in March 2020.

Emma Holden, organiser of the Country Range Student Chef Challenge, said:

“We’re thrilled to launch this year’s competition and are hoping as many chef lecturers as possible will register an interest as the Challenge provides a fantastic platform for their students to showcase their skills and talent. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for their students to gain experience in college catering competitions, which are vital to help raise the profile of the industry and showcase the amazing student and lecturer talent in the UK.”

Darren Creed, Chef Lecturer at Loughborough College, added:

“I always enter the Country Range Student Chef Challenges and really couldn’t recommend it more highly to other college catering lecturers. Not only do the students get to showcase the skills and techniques they’ve learnt at college under competition conditions against the best young chefs from around the UK, but they also receive guidance and feedback along the way and have the chance to develop some fantastic contacts for the future. It really is the perfect stepping stone for a future career in the hospitality industry.”

Country Range Student Chef Challenge

The Country Range Student Chef Challenge is seen by many as the pinnacle for catering students looking to showcase their culinary skills under competition conditions and has played a huge role in developing young chefs and talent around the UK.

Run in partnership with the Craft Guild of Chefs, who provide competition-standard judging and detailed feedback to the students, previous winning teams have been given the opportunity to compete at the Culinary Olympics and cook for the country’s leading chefs at the Craft Guild of Chefs Annual Awards.

Applications, Timings and Deadlines

As the start of term can be an incredibly busy period for students, lecturers and colleges, the challenge is now open to chef lecturers and colleges across the UK to register their interest by visiting www.countryrangestudentchef.co.uk to ensure they receive an entry pack in time for the new term.

The 2018/19 Challenge Winners

The 2018/19 Challenge saw Alan Coats, Ance Kristone and Andreau Talla help City of Glasgow College win the title for the second consecutive year in a hotly contested final at ScotHot, Scotland’s biggest food, drink and hospitality show. As part of their prize, the talented trio won a unique opportunity to undertake a work experience at a Michelin-starred restaurant, as well as being taken on a foodie tour of London which included a visit to the capital’s iconic Billingsgate Market.

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 750 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

Organic on a roll for JCS Fish

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Organic on a roll for JCS Fish

Frozen team leader, Iuliana Popescu and JCS Fish founder and director, Andrew Coulbeck, proudly display the company’s most recent Organic Food Federation Conformity certificate

Sales of organic salmon are motoring at JCS Fish, reflecting continued expansion of the UK organic food market overall, which is now estimated to be worth £2.33 BN a year and growing.[i]

35% of BigFish brand sales are now Organic and JCS Fish is anticipating that growth will continue.

This month the company successfully achieved Organic Food Federation Conformity status for the ninth consecutive year. The Grimsby-based firm remains one of only a handful of UK salmon suppliers accredited to handle and sell certified Organic salmon.

Jack Coulbeck, JCS Commercial Manager says, “The total Organic market is on target to reach £2.5BN by 2020[ii] and our own Organic sales are up by about 25% since last year. BigFish Organic Salmon fillets are a premium product made using fish reared more slowly and farmed using the most natural conditions possible. We are proud to have it in our range and confident that its popularity will continue to grow as people become more and more interested in the provenance of their food.”

The majority of BigFish Organic sales are online, either through the company’s own website or Ocado. This again reflects the overall market, with online Organic sales up 14.2%. More than a quarter of British people now do their main shop online and home delivery’s share of the Organic UK organic market is expected to reach 25% by 2023[iii].

www.jcsfish.co.uk

www.bigfishbrand.co.uk

[i] Source: Soil Association Organic Market 2019 Report

[ii] Source: Soil Association Organic Market 2019 Report

[iii] Source: Soil Association Organic Market 2019 Report/Mintel

AD and biogas industry celebrates its 2019 champions

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

AD and biogas industry celebrates its 2019 champions

2019 Awards winners revealed across 14 categories
Black-tie ceremony on 3rd July celebrates industry excellence in the UK and worldwide
Potential of biogas to address global challenges highlighted earlier in the day at World Biogas Summit.

The crème de la crème in the anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas industry gathered at the AD & Biogas Industry Awards Ceremony 2019 in Birmingham on 3rd July to celebrate those organisations and individuals who demonstrated outstanding commitment to innovation and excellence in support of this game-changing sector over the past year.

Jointly organised by the UK Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) and the World Biogas Association (WBA), the 2019 Awards competition recognised companies and people from around the world across 14 categories – ranging from Clever Use of Outputs to Best R&D Innovation, Most Circular City, AD Hero of the Year and International Knowledge & Collaboration.

Over 400 guests attended the glittering black-tie gala dinner hosted by BBC Reporter and Eco-adventurer Andy Pag, who revealed the Winners and Highly-Commended entries.

ADBA Chief Executive Charlotte Morton said:

‘AD and biogas can make an unrivalled contribution to cutting global CO2 emissions and tackling the climate emergency. We only have a limited time left to stop damaging our planet and everyone in the sector has their part to play in this vital mission. To make a real difference, we need an industry that is innovative, safe and effective. Congratulations to tonight’s Awards winners and highly commended organisations and individuals. They are the proof, alongside all those who entered this year’s competition, that we can be a world-beating sector. Our thanks go to them all.’

WBA President David Newman said:

‘This morning (3rd July) we launched a major report on the global potential of biogas in addressing the environmental crisis and supporting the development of a sustainable circular economy. The people recognised tonight are at the forefront of our efforts to realise that potential. Their dedication, ingenuity and commitment to excellence inspire us all to continue championing the benefits of our game-changing sector and to tirelessly engage with world governments and international policy makers, investors and influencers to ensure they provide our industry with the political, regulatory, financial and social framework it needs for growth. Congratulations to our worthy winners in leading the way.’

The Winners and Highly Commended entries 2019 are:

Clever Use of Outputs

Winner: Strutt & Parker Biogas Ltd, Suffolk Green Renewable CO2
Highly Commended:
West Country Soil Improvements, Bloomin’ Amazing
Greve Biogass, The Magic Factory

Best R&D Innovation – Sponsored by Cooper Östlund Ltd

Winner: Perlemax Ltd and Partner Viridor, In situ Ammonia Removal in the Desai-Zimmerman Anaerobic Digester
Highly Commended: Severn Trent Green Power, Severn Trent Green Power Derby

AD Hero of the Year – Sponsored by Future Biogas

Winner: Alexander Madden, Agrivert Ltd
Highly Commended: Neil Gemmell, Clayton Hall Farm

AD Rising Star

Winner: Chris Hoare, Amur

Best Anaerobic Digestion/Biogas Support

Winner: Evolution Biogas Ltd
Highly Commended: Octego, Committed to ADding Value

Best Export

Winner: Prodeval

International Knowledge & Collaboration – Sponsored by Yasasu

Winner: Thai Biogas Energy Company Ltd, KIT Biomethane Project

Best Microdigester

Winner: Yasasu EMS Private Ltd

Best Biogas Plant (on-farm, food waste or sewage) ≤ 1MWe-equivalent – Sponsored by Vogelsang

Winner: Ekogea, Hendwr Farm AD
Highly Commended: Technical Bioenergy Crete

Best Biogas Plant ≥ 1MWe-equivalent – Sponsored by Pentair

Winner: Boxford (Suffolk) Farms Ltd
Highly Commended: Severn Trent Green Power, Severn Trent Green Power North London

Best Biogas Marketing Campaign – Sponsored by ABA

Winner: Greve Biogass, The Magic Factory
Highly Commended: Ancitel Energia e Ambiente S.p.A., Virtual Reality Biogas Experience

Most Circular City

Winner: Technical Bioenergy Crete
Highly Commended: Boxford (Suffolk) Farms Ltd

For further information, contact:

Jocelyne Bia, e: jocelyne.bia@adbioresources.org ; tel: +44 (0)7910 878510

Erudus goes forth to revolutionise food industry data with latest integration

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Erudus goes forth to revolutionise food industry data with latest integration

Jon Shayler, chief operating officer at Erudus

Erudus is continuing to cement its position as the industry’s leading provider of food product data after announcing an integration partnership with Fourth.

Fourth is the UK’s leading hospitality platform.

The partnership means customers of Fourth’s recipe and menu engineering software can benefit from up-to-date product information sourced directly from the Erudus data pool.

It also increases efficiency and provides a smoother process for building and amending meals and menus.

And SA Brains, Wales’ biggest brewer and hospitality company, and its wholesaler Castell Howell, have already noticed the benefits of the integration.

Alan Todd, head of food and pub partnerships at Brains, said “We now have a completely transparent link direct from the manufacturer of our ingredients right through to our all-important customers.

“The integration of Erudus into our recipe building platform from Fourth has coincided with our link to providing better allergen information through Tenkites. By integrating this into the websites of our food led managed sites we can ensure complete allergen visibility for our customers when making menu choices.

“Our industry leading approach shows our business’ true commitment to customer service and food safety.”

Martyn Simpson, new product administrator at Castell Howell, said: “It is great that SA Brains customers can now benefit from the information provided by Erudus.

“With allergy care and dietary requirement more important in the food industry than they have ever been before, it gives peace of mind to customer and caterer alike that the information provided is up to date and accurate.”

Jon Shayler, chief operating officer at Erudus, believes his company partnering with foodservice tech companies is hugely beneficial to all manufacturers, wholesalers and caterers.

He said: “Fourth is well-respected in foodservice and we’re thrilled its customers now have the chance to overcome a significant hurdle in dealing with the challenges presented in food specifications.

“The ability to instantly view and communicate nutritional and allergen information is growing in importance each day.

“Those with access to Erudus’ data pool, either directly or via a third-party app such as Fourth, benefit by being safe in the knowledge that the specifications they are reviewing have been inputted by the manufacturer directly.

“Integration partnerships such as this allow for data to be pushed further, which means manufacturers enter their information once and it’s then pulled into additional software used by the industry.

“The amount of time saved by everyone in the supply chain from repeated uploads is huge.

“This is the latest integration partnership for Erudus and we have plans for more in the coming weeks and months.”

Adrian Chalmers, director of data and technical consulting at Fourth, added: “Gaining up-to-date and accurate nutritional and allergen data has been a real challenge for our customers over many years, resulting in nervousness around making data public. This partnership eliminates manual checking and input of information for our joint customers, leading to confidence in the data being shared as well as saving time and energy for the operational teams in managing that data.

“We look forward to sharing this new approach with many more of our customers and to making their lives simpler and releasing them to focus more time on their own customer activities.”

For more information visit https://www.fourth.com or erudus.com.

Collaboration for Oakland International and Jungheinrich

Posted on August 6, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Collaboration for Oakland International and Jungheinrich

Oakland International and Jungheinrich UK have announced a long-term contract that will combine cutting edge technology and optimised processes to deliver business and environmental advantages across Oakland’s supply chain operations.

Specialist in food distribution and logistics, multi temperature supply chain operator Oakland agreed the contract with Jungheinrich, a material handling and intralogistics solutions expert, to place leading edge technology at the heart of its operations.

Oakland International Business Unit Director at Corby, Lee Whiting

Oakland Business Unit Director at Corby, Lee Whiting, commented: “We’re delighted to be working in collaboration with Jungheinrich. We both have complementary qualities with Jungheinrich’s intralogistics expertise, offering Oakland the opportunity to fully optimise location positioning and reduce our carbon footprint through reduced battery cycles and charging optimisation.

“Our alliance signals long-term relationship stability with proven reliability and service and is exceptional to anything else currently in the marketplace.”

The partnership will support the growth at Oakland’s Corby site, from 6000 pallets to 15000 pallet capability, and together with freezer investment has opened new business opportunities and contracts.

Steve Richmond, Director – Logistics Systems, Jungheinrich UK, added: “To cater to the rising number of temperature sensitive products entering the supply chain, Oakland required a multi-temperature storage facility that was fully optimised for maximum capacity and operational efficiency. We are pleased to be working with Oakland to provide a complete, bespoke mobile racking and material handling solution that will ensure those demands are met, both now and in the future. We look forward to our ongoing collaboration with Oakland and to supporting their continued growth.”

Oakland International’s key focus is to add value to its customers and partners and operates site and facilities in the UK, Ireland and has a partner in Spain, and is a leading expert at reducing food losses in the supply chain due to load contamination.

About Jungheinrich UK Ltd: Jungheinrich UK Ltd is one of the top three leading intralogistics providers in the UK, generating a turnover of over £210 million annually. With a team of more than 800 dedicated and highly experienced employees, operating from seven locations across the UK, Jungheinrich offers the industry’s widest range of intralogistics solutions, high energy efficiency pallet trucks, stackers, counterbalance trucks, reach trucks, order pickers, very narrow aisle trucks, automated guided vehicles, racking and stacker cranes in more than 600 truck variants, new or fully refurbished. All used forklift trucks are industrially refurbished in accordance with Jungheinrich 5-star quality standards at the specially designed Dresden plant in Germany. In addition, Jungheinrich provides an extensive, 500-employee strong, customer service support network and has one of the largest short-term forklift rental fleets in the UK. The company has evolved from a manufacturer of forklift trucks to a full intralogistics solutions provider, excelling in automation, racking systems and warehouse planning, as well as in long and short term rental and financial services. The company is a division of the Jungheinrich AG Group, which is represented worldwide in 40 countries with its own direct sales companies and in more than 80 other countries through partner companies. Jungheinrich employs 18,000 people worldwide and generated consolidated revenue of €3.8 billion in 2018. www.jungheinrich.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.

Need a comment from the BFFF?

The voice of the frozen food industry
Representing over 340 businesses in the frozen food industry
Available out of hours

Contact the BFFF PR Team

what our members say...

Helen Atkinson

Wakefield Council

“What an amazing piece of work and indicative of how BFFF respond to the concerns of their members and make an impact on the whole industry sector.”

See Full Quote
Paul Duncalf

Sysco

“You guys really ‘Do The Right Thing’ for the good of the industry”

See Full Quote
Co-CEO Dries Talpe

Darta

“The BFFF awards night is becoming an “appointment not to miss” on our calendar and we again enjoyed it immensely together with lots of well-known people from our industry. The…

See Full Quote
Lewis Kain

Kantar Worldpanel

“The Business Conference was an excellent day that was very well organised and allowed so many likeminded individuals in the room to learn so much more around the Frozen industry….

See Full Quote
Gail Hodson - Technical Director

Lakeside Food Group Ltd

“This Not For EU labelling situation alarmed us and quickly became a major worry to our business. These are times when you really rely on some support and from previous…

See Full Quote
Domenic Granelli - Financial Controller

Meadow Vale Foods Limited

“We had a few questions with respect to the new EPR waste packaging legislative changes. I know some of my colleagues have been assisted by BFFF in the past so…

See Full Quote
Dave Griffiths, General Manager

Newberry International Produce Ltd

“I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for the outstanding event you organised. I have only worked in this sector for the past nineteen months coming from twenty-five years…

See Full Quote
Liam, Commerical Director

Place UK Ltd

“The BFFF 2024 Conference was compelling and thought provoking, with a many relevant and interesting topics covered at great pace and some depth by excellent speakers – will certainly attend…

See Full Quote
Peter Bambury

Roswel Spedition GMBH

“Thank you and the team for rushing around so brilliantly before, during and after the conference. It was pleasure to be part of the conference.”

See Full Quote
Alexandre Alves De Mattos

Seara

“The event was great, in my opinion. Not only it was very well organised, but the venue and the catering were excellent too. Furthermore, the content of the presentations was…

See Full Quote