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BRAKES LAUNCHES WINTER FOOD FESTIVAL WITH FOCUS ON SUPPORT, INSIGHTS, AWARD-WINNING NEW FOOD AND VEGANUARY

Brakes Virtual Winter Food Festival, which is live until 14th January 2022, will offer operators across foodservice a multitude of practical ideas and insights as they look to navigate the challenges of the festive season, make the most of Veganuary opportunities and start to plan for the new year.

At the heart of the Winter Food Festival will be a series of webinars covering topics such as Veganuary, mental health and staff wellbeing, and upcoming calorie labelling on menus legislation changes. The webinars have been created in conjunction with leading foodservice organisations including Veganuary, #FairKitchens, Unilever and Nutritics.

‘At Brakes we’re passionate about the food we sell, and about being the chef’s hidden partner, providing them with the products that make running their kitchen that little bit easier, but that is only a part of what we do to support our customers,’ says Leon French, Brakes’ Customer Marketing Director. ‘The Winter Food Festival brings together helpful guidance, support, and insights, as well as award-winning new food, to help operators plan for the key occasions over the coming weeks and months.’

Among the webinars will be a session on the #FairKitchens movement which is striving to make the industry a fairer, more inclusive, and happier place to work, an insight into how caterers can make Veganuary a lasting opportunity, and an essential guide and practical solutions for the new calorie labelling legislation that comes into effect in April 2022 from Nutritics.

And, of course, great food will also be on the menu! Alongside 22 supplier stands, including Nestlé, Unilever, Valeo Snackfoods and Heinz, there will also be six individual Brakes stands dedicated to hospitality, food to go, care and hospitals, new food, education, and winter menus, all of which will offer products and solutions created to help caterers maximise the quality and flavour of their offer whilst helping them to reduce costs and labour. These products will be complemented by insights into the latest food trends, downloadable resources, and on-demand video inspiration.

As part of a vibrant new look the event website has some fantastic new features that will enable visitors to get to the information that they want both quicker and more easily. These include a simplified home page with a “What’s On” webinar guide, improved mobile experience, and a filter that will allow them to view specific products of interest such as vegan, vegetarian, and plant based items.

Plus, there’s a chance to win £500 worth of Brakes vouchers by taking part in the event prize draw!

Brakes Winter Food Festival will be open to Brakes customers and non-customers, with the former able to buy products directly off the page – with their agreed discount applied – and get details of all the latest promotions available to them. Existing customers will receive an email invitation letting them know how to access the event whilst non-customers can simply visit the home page at: https://www.brake.co.uk/virtual-food-event

BLANKET HOUSING ORDER NOW IN FORCE TO COMBAT AVIAN INFLUENZA

New housing measures to protect poultry and captive birds from avian influenza across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland came into force from 00:01 on Monday 29th November.

This means it is now a legal requirement for all bird keepers to keep their birds indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures in order to limit the spread and to eradicate the disease.

BFFF will be keeping a close watch on the situation and will keep members updated. If the housing order continues for several weeks this could also impact on the Free Range market, as we saw in the winter of 2017. Legally, product labelled as Free Range must be Free Range. If housed beyond a 16 week period, then in accordance with Regulation (EC) 589/2008 they would then be classed as barn eggs and meat.

More information can be found at:

GOV.​UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bird-flu-latest-situation-avian-influenza-prevention-zone-declared-across-great-britain,

GOV.SCOT: https://www.gov.scot/news/new-housing-measures-to-protect-poultry-and-captive-birds-against-avian-flu-1/,

GOV.WALES: https://gov.wales/new-housing-measures-protect-poultry-and-captive-birds-against-avian-flu-0

and DAERA-NI.GOV.UK: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/news/avian-influenza-housing-order-come-force-0

 

YOUNG LEADERS’ FORUM REVIEWS BFFF’S STRATEGY

Earlier in the month the Young Leaders Forum (YLF) met in London for their second in-person meeting, where they were joined by Steve Challouma, General Manager UK & Ireland for Nomad Foods and the BFFF’s Vice Chair, and Richard Harrow, BFFF CEO.

The group were joined by Steve and Richard following a decision made by the BFFF Board to review the federations strategy. The board felt that it would be valuable to get some fresh thinking and input from the YLF on how they could develop the strategic pillars and decide on the BFFF’s priorities.

The group had a successful meeting with some great discussions taking place when looking at what’s working, what’s not working yet, what’s missing and what’s possible. There were a lot of positives to come out of the session and also some really good ideas for areas for the BFFF to work on and expand into.

Thank you to Steve and Richard for taking the time to join our meeting and to those members of the YLF who took part in the session.

 

Interested in joining the Young Leaders Forum?

The BFFF are looking for passionate young individuals to join an established group of 15 like-minded members. The group holds six meetings a year, which are a mix of virtual and face-to-face meetings/site visits.

If you are interested in being part of this group, please contact Holly (hollyjones@bfff.co.uk) and Harry (harryhinks@bfff.co.uk) for more information.

 

Annual Luncheon Covid Guidelines

Thank you, to over 250 guests who have pre registered their Covid passes ahead of the Annual Luncheon on Thursday.

There is still time to pre register; please email your pass to covidpass@bfff.co.uk.

Instructions can be found on the event page of our website Annual Luncheon Covid Guidelines

Those who have not pre registered will be required to show their paper pass or show their status on a mobile device before entering the event.

Lateral flow tests can be logged up to and on the day of the event by clicking this link  https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result. You can log a result without an account, it will take around 5 minutes to complete the report. You will then receive a text and/or email confirming your negative result. Please forward this to the covidpass@bfff.co.uk email or show it on check in at the event.

We are also happy to accept a photograph of your negative test, with the date taken written on it. Please do not bring the physical test to the event.

We have worked hard to ensure this event is as safe as possible for all attending. Arco have generously supplied hand sanitiser and face coverings (should you wish to wear one whilst moving around the hotel) and we have worked with the hotel to ensure ventilation is adequate for the number of guests attending.

Please do not attend if you develop any of the symptoms of Covid-19, and we look forward to seeing you all on Thursday.

BRAKES TAKES HOME NINE AWARDS IN THE QUALITY FOOD AWARDS

A raft of products aimed at helping customers navigate a pandemic-impacted market has seen Brakes winning seven category awards at the Q Awards, more than half of those available.  The UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler also took home the coveted Foodservice Operator of the Year title and Foodservice Product of the Year, for its Pumpkin Mac & Cheese Bites.

Stuart Smith, Brakes’ Merchandising Director, dedicated the success to the company’s customer focus: “We have been 100% focussed on developing products that bring clear benefits to our customers, whether that’s saving them time in the kitchen, enabling them to create stand-out menus, or helping them to interpret and get ahead of emerging consumer tastes and trends.

“That clear focus has meant that products are already destined for success as they are designed around our deep knowledge of our customers and the consumers they serve. We’re proud of our NPD team, the most proactive in the industry, and it is testament to their passion, love of food and deep expertise, that we’ve won 7 out of the 13 categories available.  I know the entire Brakes team will be delighted to have been voted Wholesaler of the Year, which we believe reflects our customer first service proposition which places customers at the heart of everything we do.”

 

The 17 successful products in the Q Awards are: 

Bread and Morning Goods

La Boulangerie Vegan Potato Burger Bun (winner)

La Boulangerie Extra Thick Traditional Sourdough Tin Loaf (highly commended)

La Boulangerie Artisan Seeded Loaves (commended)

 

Cakes and Desserts

Brakes Vegan Jaffa Cake (highly commended)

 

Foodservice Christmas

Brakes Dark Chocolate Delice (winner)

Brakes Vegan Cherry & Chocolate Dessert (commended)

 

Fish

Cooked Octopus Tentacles (winner)

M&J British MSC Hake Supreme Skin on Boneless (commended)

  

Free From

Brakes Gluten Free Batter Mix (highly commended)

 

Ingredients

Brakes Spicy Chip Seasoning (highly commended)

Brakes Bread & Butter Pickles (commended)

  

Meal Accompaniments

Brakes Mixed Kale & Savoy Cabbage (highly commended)

 

Ready to Cook

M&J Mac & Cheese Smoked MSC Haddock Fishcakes (winner)

Vegan Soya Keema (commended)

 

Savoury

Pumpkin Mac Cheese Bites  (winner)

 

Vegan Ingredients

Brakes Gluten Free Fine Chicken Gravy Granules (winner)

 

Vegetables

Goma Wakame Sesame Seaweed (winner)

 

Foodservice Product of the Year

Pumpkin Mac Cheese Bites

 

Foodservice Operator of the Year

Brakes

 

CLIMATE, GAS AND CO2 SECURITY KEY THEMES OF ADBA 2021 NATIONAL CONFERENCE

On 14 December, Lord Callanan, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Business, Energy and Corporate Responsibility) will address the 2021 UK Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA) National Conference the first physical event hosted by the trade body since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic nearly two years ago.  The event in Central London will highlight how anaerobic digestion (AD) is the ready-to-go, low-cost technology that can deliver climate, gas and CO2 security – three critical issues currently affecting the UK.

In his keynote speech, Lord Callanan will provide an update on the Green Gas Support Scheme, explain the Government’s policy for biomass and explore the role of AD in the UK’s Net Zero strategy.

COP26 President Alok Sharma dubbed the period 2021-2030 “the decade of delivery” and this year’s ADBA National Conference will demonstrate how the AD industry can, over the next nine years:

  •  reduce the UK’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by 6% and help the country fulfill its Paris Agreement and Global Methane Pledge commitments
  • meet 25% of the UK’s domestic gas demand
  • provide over 100% of the UK’s CO2 demand

Sessions will cover the outcome of the COP26 summit and how AD can deliver 25% of the UK’s Global Methane Pledge commitment, the delivery of separate food waste collections from 2023, farming regulations on digestate and the decarbonisation of transport.

Philipp Lukas, Chief Executive of Future Biogas, will also present his company’s vision for carbon capture and storage and join a panel discussion on bio-CO2.

Charlotte Morton, ADBA Chief Executive, said: ” The UK is entering a new era of waste (or should I say resource) management to achieve greater climate, gas and CO2 security. What makes this year’s ADBA National Conference so pivotal is that we’ll emphasize how AD can deliver on all of these, especially the Global Methane Pledge, and address the barriers to the industry’s growth that MUST be lifted if we are to fulfill its potential.

As we have long be campaigning, there’s no net zero without biogas. Treating organic wastes through AD curbs methane and other GHG emissions across agriculture, food manufacturing, food waste and wastewater treatment, and crucially generates the valuable bioproducts needed to develop a sustainable, green circular economy for the UK.  It’s a ready-to-use, mature technology that, given the right policy support, can rapidly make a huge contribution towards the UK’s transition away from fossil fuels to a self-sufficient, secure, low-carbon economic model.  

As we emerge from the Covid pandemic, the AD industry can also bring tens of thousands of green jobs to the market and help boost employment across multiple sectors. If the UK is to deliver this decade, AD must be an integral part of the plan. We’ll be honoured to welcome Lord Callanan to our Conference look forward to hearing his insights on this topic.

The ADBA National Conference 2021 will take place on Tuesday 14 December at One Great George Street, London. 

View the full programme

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
Upcoming Events More Events
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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