Pioneer puts on a tasty food show

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Pioneer puts on a tasty food show

Pioneer Foodservice welcomed more than 600 customers to its 21^st catering food show and the highly anticipated event didn’t disappoint.

On Sunday 24^th and Monday 25^th February, the Cumbrian food service company took over The Shepherds in Carlisle to welcome national and regional suppliers and customers.

Customers travelled from far and wide to take advantage of money-saving deals from over 60 suppliers. Suppliers were showcasing their product ranges and many new product launches were on display. Household names such as Heinz, Whitby Scampi and Nestlé were in attendance alongside an array of regional suppliers from Cumbria, Northumberland and Scotland.

The show saw the launch of premium brand ice cream from the Handmade Ice Cream Company. Steven Darvill, owner of The Handmade Ice Cream Company, praised the food show saying: “Working with Pioneer is a fantastic way of reaching new customers across the north west of England and southern Scotland and the show has given me an opportunity to speak with these customers face-to-face. We have had an amazing amount of excellent feedback about our products and I really enjoyed the show.”

The Handmade Ice Cream Co is based in Ulverston and uses only the best ingredients for its quality produce which is exclusively available into the hospitality trade through Pioneer Foodservice. In acknowledgement of its ongoing support and promotion of local entrepreneurs and business owners, Pioneer recently picked up regional and national awards at the Family Business Awards.

The show was also the first appearance for Cumbrian brewer Ben Clementson of Brack n Brew. Its quality ales have proved a hit with Pioneer customers since their launch back in June 2018; in both Pioneer’s foodservice and retail businesses. Ben was kept busy throughout the show saying: “It’s been a huge success for us and it’s great to put faces to names of existing Pioneer customers and reaching new ones. Our ales are not only proving to be a hit with Cumbrian customers, Northumberland customers have shown a great interest in the ales too. The show is a great way to spread the word of local produce.”

Managing Director of Pioneer Foodservice, Graham Jenkins says: “This was our 21^st show and we were immensely excited about this year’s event. We think it’s been the busiest and best so far. The event brings together our suppliers and customers to celebrate our passion for food.

“We were also honoured when the Mayoress of Carlisle, Councillor Jessica Riddle, visited the show. I accompanied her and she thoroughly enjoyed meeting our suppliers and sampling some of the excellent produce on offer.”

The Carlisle-based company is proud to be a supplier of new product innovation and is always keen to be at the forefront of trends to ensure their customers are ahead of the game. Veganism has seen a huge gain in popularity and much of the new product development on show at the event was aimed at those following a plant-based diet.

Paramount 21 is a global food producer well known for keeping ahead of food trends and their vegan and gluten free dishes certainly went down well with Pioneer customers. Debs Casey-Smith, Senior National Account Manager with Paramount said: “Veganism has certainly arrived in Carlisle. Our vegan chip shop bites was just one of our vegan products which was a hit with all visitors. Even those who hesitate to try vegan foods can’t believe the quality of produce available now. It has been a super show, one of the busiest.”

Jenkins added: “The demand for vegan foods has certainly grown and we think it’s here to stay as more people follow not only vegan but flexitarian diets. Our buying team works hard to source innovative, tasty new products which tick all the boxes for a wide range of diets.”

Andrew Keen who runs the House of Meg tea rooms situated in Gilsland, visited the show to take advantage of the deals and to sample the new products showcased. Andrew is a loyal customer of Pioneer and says: “I’ve visited every show since I opened 12 years ago and each time the discounts can’t be missed. I love the new products on show and they definitely help me in my menu development for bistro nights at the tea room. I’ll be taking on board the new trends shown here today.”

Graham commented: “It’s rewarding to meet our customers who enjoy our show, take advantage of the offers and sample new products. Our hard work doesn’t finish when the show is over, we will continue to supply and source quality products at the right price for all our customers as we approach our 142^nd year of trading.”

Pioneer Foodservice is now planning their next food show for 2021.

Macphie awards success spreads across Scotland

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Macphie awards success spreads across Scotland

From left, host Dougie Vipond, with Macphie Corporate Relations Manager Joanna Fraser who was presented with the Rural Employer award by Anthony Stodart, managing director of sponsor ArdMoor

It was a double celebration last night as Macphie lifted two awards at separate events last night (Thursday).

The Aberdeenshire-based food ingredient manufacturer was recognised as employer of the year at the Scottish Rural Awards in Edinburgh, as well as lifting an award for one of its newest products at the North East Scotland Food Awards in Aberdeen.

The Rural Employer award in Edinburgh acknowledges companies which actively seek to attract, invest in, retain and reward talent. The judges said they chose a business that reflects its rural values by fostering a true sense of belonging and community in the workplace.

From left Ronnie Kelman, business director at sponsor ESS presents Macphie Operations Director Neil Freckingham with Best Foodservice Product award at the ONE North East Scotland Food and Drink Awards at the Ardoe House Hotel.

Meanwhile, the Best Foodservice Product award in Aberdeen recognises Macphie’s development of the first vegan-certified cake mix range for use by industry professionals both in the UK and internationally.

The judges felt Macphie is a food producer that shows a high level of innovation and clearly demonstrates the positive impact on their business.

Chairman Alastair Macphie said: “This is an absolutely brilliant result and a double whammy being recognised in two different award ceremonies on the same night.

“The award for our new vegan product is important as we are very proud of our track record in innovation and exploring the new.

“Keeping focused on the future helps us identify opportunities in the ever-evolving food industry as we deliver inspirational solutions for our customers.

“However we are committed to cultivating a diverse, rewarding employee culture so it is particularly gratifying to be recognised as employer of the year.

“We are lucky that the passion of our people is one of our greatest strengths.

“Macphie is known in the food industry as ‘the Vital Ingredient’. But within Macphie, people are the vital ingredient and they are at the heart of everything we do.”

The Scottish Rural Awards are now in their fifth year and are the only awards to truly champion the Scottish countryside, celebrating the enterprise and innovation of those who live and work in rural Scotland.

Finalists in the Rural Employer category, which was sponsored by Ardmoor outdoor clothing, were Campbell’s of Beauly, Luss Smokehouse, Macleod Construction Limited, Scottish Salmon Company, Shiel Buses, Speyside Cooperage, Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn, Ardnahoe Distillery and Borthwick Castle.

More information can be found at www.scottishruralawards.org

The North East Scotland Food Awards, delivered in partnership between Opportunity North East (ONE) and Aberdeenshire Council, have been running for more than 25 years and are open to all food and drink producers in the Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray areas.

North-east Scotland has an excellent base for growth in food, drink, agriculture and seafood, with its wide range of primary produce, new businesses, big name brands and international connections. The food, drink and agriculture sector is a significant part of the region’s economy, directly employing more than 22,000 people. Excluding the whisky sector, it contributes an estimated 20% of Scotland’s food and drink industry output.

Other finalists in the Best Foodservice Product category were Mackintosh of Glendaveny and Rora Dairy.

More information can be found at www.nesfoodanddrinkawards.co.uk

Applications open for global anaerobic digestion industry awards

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Applications open for global anaerobic digestion industry awards

Gala ceremony to recognise greatest AD innovators from UK and around the world
AD converts organic wastes and crops into renewable energy and natural fertiliser
Deadline for applications to awards is Friday 26^th April

Applications are now open for the AD & Biogas Industry Awards 2019, taking place on 3^rd July at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK.

The awards, which include prizes across 14 categories, will be presented at a black-tie ceremony featuring a three-course dinner, a renowned host, after-dinner entertainment, and an opportunity for attendees to network with industry leaders.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas technologies convert organic wastes and crops into renewable heat and power, clean transport fuel, and nutrient-rich natural fertiliser. AD has been recognised globally as a key technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, restoring soils, improving sanitation, and improving air quality worldwide.

The ceremony, now in its eighth year, will take place on the first night of UK AD & World Biogas Expo 2019 and the World Biogas Summit 2019, two-located events that will bring together industry, policymakers, politicians, academics, and AD operators from the UK and across the globe to discuss the most pressing topics and showcase the most innovative products and services in the AD and biogas industry. All three events are being co-organised by the UK’s Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA) and the World Biogas Association (WBA).

This year’s award categories include a range of new prizes for Clever Use of Outputs, Best Food Waste Collection System, Most Improved Plant, Best Microdigester, Best Biogas Plant equal to or above/below 1MW electrical-equivalent respectively, Best Biogas Marketing Campaign, and Most Circular City. Applicants from both the UK and abroad can apply to all categories.

The judging panel for the awards includes experts from both the UK and abroad with expertise in a wide range of sectors related to AD and biogas. The deadline for applications to the awards is Friday 26^th April.

The full awards categories for the 2019 ceremony are:

Clever Use of Outputs (NEW)
2.           Best Food Waste Collection System (NEW)
3.           Best R&D Innovation Award
4.           AD Hero of the Year
5.           AD Rising Star
6.           Best AD/Biogas Support
7.           Most Improved Plant (NEW)
8.           Best Export
9.           International Knowledge Exchange & Collaboration
10.         Best Microdigester (NEW)
11.         Best Biogas Plant equal to or below 1MWe-equivalent (NEW)
12.         Best Biogas Plant equal to or above 1MWe-equivalent (NEW)
13.         Best Biogas Marketing Campaign (NEW)
14.         Most Circular City (NEW)

ADBA Chief Executive Charlotte Morton said:

“The AD & Biogas Industry Awards Ceremony will celebrate those who are making an exceptional contribution to the AD and biogas industry both in the UK and globally. The 14 award categories are designed to showcase achievement and innovation and recognise excellence in each sector of the industry.

“With recent positive announcements from government on rollout of universal food waste collections in England and support for the injection of more green gas into the gas grid, the outlook for the UK AD industry is extremely bright – and this ceremony will be the perfect place to celebrate these achievements and look forward to an exciting future.”

WBA President David Newman said:

“These awards are the highlight of the global AD and biogas industry event calendar and offer a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the companies that are really making strides in best practice in this sector across the globe. The will give those working in biogas in every country in the world the chance to learn from each other and work together to promote this great technology, which has such a vital role to play in tackling climate change and meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”

Amaya Arias-Garcia, member of the judging panel and Engineering Design Manager in Water Technologies & Solutions at Suez, said:

“The Awards are a great opportunity to evaluate achievements across the industry over the last year. It is always a pleasure to attend the Awards Ceremony as everyone celebrates the results of all their hard work. It is also a great opportunity to meet colleagues and discuss progress in a relaxed and happy environment.”

Harmen Dekker, member of the judging panel and Business Development Manager at DMT International, said:

“Being closely involved in assisting the development of biogas projects, I see in the industry not only an increasingly professional attitude, but also many exciting techniques that will propel it forward for years to come. Biogas is not only here to stay but will play an increasingly important role in the future renewable energy mix. I am therefore delighted to be asked to judge the AD & Biogas Industry Awards 2019 and look forward to reading the applications.”

Dr Sarika Jain, member of the judging panel and Independent Environmental Consultant at Focus Sustainability, said:

“I’m hugely excited to read the applications for the awards to see the latest innovations in the industry and how operators around the world are creatively implementing existing biogas technologies based on local feedstock, needs, and regulations.”

David Tompkins, member of the judging panel and Head of Knowledge Exchange & Innovation at Aqua Enviro, said:

“The AD and biogas sectors continue to prove dynamic and resourceful in the face of severe political uncertainty. The annual AD & Biogas Industry Awards Ceremony highlights the diversity of good practice and innovation that underpin the long-term viability of this market – and I particularly hope to see applications from those who are pushing the envelope of product development beyond biomethane and biofertiliser.”

Those interested in applying can do so here.

Lantmännen Unibake UK welcomes back Peter Drew as Marketing & Innovation Director

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Lantmännen Unibake UK welcomes back Peter Drew

as Marketing & Innovation Director

Lantmännen Unibake UK is excited to announce the appointment of Peter Drew in the new role of Marketing & Innovation Director for the UK.

Whilst Peter is taking the reins of a brand-new role at Lantmännen Unibake UK, he is not a new face to the team, with more than nine years’ experience with the Unibake business. Joining from the Global team based at the group’s Headquarters in Copenhagen where he spent five years as Group Innovation Director, the move will see him take up a fresh challenge as he implements the dual Marketing & Innovation role with the aim of supporting the growth of the UK arm of the business.

As head of Marketing & Innovation at the leading bakery supplier, Peter’s primary objectives will be to further drive the growth of the UK business across both retail and foodservice.

Peter will focus on growing and developing the business’ key bakery categories including, Fast Food Breads, Danish & French Pastries, Savouries, Speciality and French Breads. The role will also see Peter further developing the culture, team and processes which combine local expertise and insights with the global scale of the group.

Peter will also support the further investment in the bakeries in Milton Keynes and Bedford and its growing business in Australia, South Africa and the Far East.

Peter comes to the role with a wealth of innovation and marketing expertise and more than 20 years in the Bakery Industry. He started his career with Unilever spending six and a half years within the Marketing Innovation/ Sales functions. He then joined Bakehouse (acquired by Unibake in 2010) where he undertook a number of roles including Marketing Director, Category Director, Product Director, Trading Director and Innovations Director. During this time the business grew from an entrepreneurial start up to a major bakery supplier. Testament to his expertise, many of the practices, decisions and trading agreements made during his time at Bakehouse are still in existence today.

As he takes the role at Lantmännen Unibake’s office in Bagshot, Surrey, Peter comments:

“Lantmännen Unibake has evolved into a really strong business and I’m truly excited to be part of the team that will drive the next phase of its development. I’m committed to supporting the team’s vision to develop and grow our business in all our core product categories and to drive our Schulstad Bakery Solutions and Americana brands. There are some exciting times ahead”.

Caterforce announces annual results

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Caterforce announces annual results

Foodservice buying group attributes success to synergy

Nick Redford, Managing Director

Leading foodservice buying & marketing group, Caterforce, has announced growth of £54m sales on a like for like turnover to £524m, despite the loss of Kent Frozen Foods to acquisition in early 2018.

The group believes the annual increase is due to the significant investments the members have made, its enhanced supplier relationships, and a result of its ability to effectively mobilise its group purchasing. It has also attributed the continued growth of its own-label range, Chefs’ Selections, to its ongoing success.

Caterforce is made up of seven of the UK’s biggest wholesalers; Lynas, Castell Howell, Hunts, Philip Dennis, Pilgrim, Pioneer and JB Foods. Its extensive network reaches all the UK, Scotland and Ireland.

Nick Redford, Managing Director of Caterforce, said: “We pride ourselves on working with our members and suppliers in a way that benefits everyone with the end consumer always in mind. We have an extensive distribution network and our strategic business model enables us to harness group synergies in the most effective way. This has significantly contributed to our recent achievements.”

Caterforce has also focused heavily in the last 12 months on its own brand Chefs’ Selections range. Three of its leading products, Cocoa Powder, Barra Gallega and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, were recognised in the highly coveted ‘Great Taste’ awards and the group are continuing to extend the winning range.

Since the range launched in 2012 it has grown into a £50m+ brand. It has just released an innovative cake range and has further NPD plans for 2019/20, including centre plate solutions.

Nick added: “Chefs’ Selections has gone from strength to strength since its inception and is a key area of focus for us this year. The range provides good quality, cost effective alternatives to more expensive everyday industry food products. We have spent significant business time and resource developing and improving the products including extensive taste testing, enhanced technical support, benchmarking and regular quality assurance reviews. The existing products and upcoming ranges are available exclusively through our members.”

Caterforce recently announced that it is extending its buying policy and that it has already removed palm oil from a number of its own range Chefs’ Selections products.

For more information visit www.caterforce.co.uk

We Love Cake Relaunch

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

We Love Cake Relaunch

Bells of Lazonby have redesigned their flagship brand ‘We Love Cake’, to further strengthen their position as one of the market leaders within Free From Cake in the UK Food Service market.

The We Love Cake range has undergone nine months of sugar-reduction reformulation to be first to market in achieving the Public Health England (PHE) 2020 Sugar targets, whilst maintaining the same great taste.

Sugar has been reduced by up to 38% compared to the existing recipes which will remove five tonnes of sugar over the space of a year.

The new recipe cakes were successfully benchmarked against existing products by a large group of free from consumers to ensure there was no compromise on quality and taste.

Emily Sudell, Marketing Manager of We Love Cake said: “In reducing sugar, we found that some of the lines scored higher in taste tests due to the reduction of sweetness, which had in the past hidden the natural flavour of the inclusions, such as nuts, fruits and seeds.”

Early in 2018, the We Love Cake team began the “4S Project” on a mission to not only refresh the Sugar content in recipes, but also the Style, Shape and SRP (Shelf Ready Packaging) of the existing range.

Michael Bell, MD at Bells of Lazonby commented; “We always look ahead of the curve and fix the roof whilst the sun is shining

“With consumer insight and data analysis, we identified three big trends coming our way – primarily sugar reduction, as well as, continued growth of the ‘lifestyle free from consumer’ and increased on-the-go consumption.

“This insight has driven the project forward to future proof our brand for the next five years”

Partnering with a small Cheshire based design agency, We Love Cake recrafted their logo to recognise their baking heritage and expertise with “Baking since 1946” incorporated into the roundel.

They also added the three pillars of the brand which apply to all products across the range – gluten, wheat and milk free – further simplifying the purchasing choice for those with allergens or consumers buying into free from as a lifestyle choice.

The brand refresh is set to appeal more to lifestyle customers which make up around 70% of the total free from market.

To make the range more suitable for the on-the-go occasion, all the cake slices have also changed shape into a longer bar, and are now served in SRPs, for customers to grab and go at their convenience.

Hybrid bakery products are set to be popular this year, particularly across millennials who enjoy experimenting with new products. We Love Cake have created the Brookie – a twist on two mainstream classics (a brownie and a cookie), this product is guaranteed to provide an exciting addition to the range and offer that indulgent pick me up to those who need it. In line with existing brand standards the Brookie is gluten, wheat and milk free which means that even those following a free from lifestyle can still enjoy this indulgent, on-trend product.

In 2012, the We Love Cake brand was launched, with instant success across the largest UK wholesalers including Bidfood & Brakes. With the growth of the free from market over the past 10 years and the strong quality of the We Love Cake range, the brand hopes to continue its double-digit growth for the next five years with the market leading sugar reduction and brand refresh.

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