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Twice the ice: Rick Bestwick rolls out extended blast freezing capacity
Rick Bestwick, part of the Magnavale Group, has doubled its blast freezing capacity to become one of the largest providers in the UK.
The group’s capacity has doubled following a substantial investment in additional blast freezing units across all its sites in Chesterfield, Scunthorpe, Liverpool and Warrington.
It means more food manufacturers and retailers than ever before can take advantage of the technology which rapidly freezes food ahead of cold storage.
Stuart Hancock, Magnavale founder and co-owner, said: “The increase in demand for blast freezing services has been phenomenal and with an ever-growing customer base we wanted to ensure we had the technology in place to meet that need.
“We pride ourselves on bringing bespoke solutions to the food industry as the latest investment in blast freezing proves.”
Blast freezing pushes cold air at high velocity across a product in order to freeze it to -18oC at speed. The benefits include:
- Maintains product quality – products are taken from fresh to frozen in the most efficient way locking in freshness and restricting bacterial growth that may to product deterioration;
- Stopping bacterial growth – the growth of bacteria found in meat, fish and poultry is significantly disrupted, ensuring your product remains safe for consumption and extending its shelf life;
- Preserving nutrients in food – rapid nutrient deterioration is effectively stopped so nutritional health benefits are preserved;
- Increasing production efficiency and minimising waste – ingredients and production lines can be maximised to produce products in bulk which can then be safely stored and called upon when required.
Rick Bestwick has installed 12 new blast freezers across the group which specialises in temperature-controlled storage and value-added services for the food industry. Its Chesterfield headquarters has benefitted from an additional seven units, whilst Scunthorpe and Liverpool have seen three and one installed respectively.
Rick Bestwick’s Warrington site is able to offer blast freezing for the first time after the investment saw a new unit fitted at its coldstore. The total blast freezing capacity now offered by the group is approximately 4,500 pallets per week.
Rick Bestwick has been delivering blast freezing services since 2000 under BRC Accreditation against the Global Standard for Storage and Distribution.
Colin Taylor, CEO of Magnavale, said: “We are proud to announce Rick Bestwick now has one of the largest blast freezing capacities in the UK.
“The additional capacity will ensure we can deliver an unrivalled service to our existing partners and new customers. Everything from temperature controlled storage, microwave and rapid air-up tempering, coding, labelling and packing, all under one roof.
“This combined with our exclusive distribution partnership with DFDS Logistics ensures Rick Bestwick is a complete service solution.”
For more information visit www.rickbestwick.com or call 01246 854999.
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