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BIRDS EYE ADDS FISHLESS FINGERS INNOVATION TO GREEN CUISINE RANGE

  • Birds Eye is branching out into fishless alternatives for the first time, expanding its popular Green Cuisine range with the launch of Fishless Fingers
  • 66% of consumers agree that Birds Eye has the best fish fingers on the market – the brand is well poised to launch one of its most iconic products in a plant-based format
  • The NPD is the first Green Cuisine product to use rice protein, and has many nutritional benefits such as being full of Omega-3 and a source of protein

Birds Eye is making its first venture into the fish-alternative segment, using its expertise in frozen to launch new Fishless Fingers. Debuting in Sainsbury’s in late June, the launch follows the success of previous Green Cuisine products that have recreated classic Birds Eye products, such as Chicken-free pieces, which now contributes to 38% of sales[1].

Jess Ali, Senior Marketing Manager at Birds Eye said: “Shoppers are increasingly looking for plant-based alternatives of their favourite foods, and with our established brand heritage and dominance in the fish finger category, we’re in the perfect position to create a plant-based alternative to our iconic fish finger. Consumers are more likely to buy and trial products from brands they already love and trust. Our Fishless Fingers are an important addition to our plant-based offering, and we’re hopeful that they will be as popular with family members as our beloved fish-based products.

“With the growing number of flexitarian shoppers, we are in the perfect position to appeal to those who wish to choose alternative formats for their mealtimes. The combination of our heritage in frozen food and our reputation for producing family mealtime favourites has helped to make our existing vegan products successful and popular, with penetration of the Green Cuisine range now up to 8.7%[2] . With this addition, our Green Cuisine range will continue to play off recognisable meat-based formats, showing shoppers that plant-based meals can be just as tasty and convenient.”

The Fishless Fingers, covered in the Birds Eye Fish Finger signature crumb for the same, recognisable taste, offer a range of nutritional benefits, such as being a source of omega 3 which plays an important part in maintaining heart health. To further the brand’s efforts to make eating meat-free more mainstream and promoting the power of plants, Birds Eye’s Green Cuisine brand has become the official plant-based supporter of Team GB ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

 

The Birds Eye Fishless Fingers will be available in Sainsburys from late June with secured full distribution in over 600 stores. They will then be rolled out to other retailers from 2022.

[1] Nielsen Scantrack MAT TY 24.04.21

[2] Kantar MAT 52 Weeks 18.04.21

GET THE INSIDE SCOOP: ICELAND LAUNCHES THEIR MOST DECADENT ICE-CREAM YET – A TRIPLE LAYER PRALINE ICE CREAM

Iceland and The Food Warehouse are adding to their well-loved luxurious ice cream range, with a flavour worth melting for. The frozen food retailers’ new Luxury Triple Layer Praline Ice Cream (£2.00, 600ml) is made in Italy, using the finest ingredients and is available in selected stores and online now for just £2.00.

With dinner dates and movie nights with friends looking close in sight, what more could be asked for than a delicious, indulgent tub of ice-cream? Iceland and The Food Warehouse’s latest addition, Luxury Triple Praline Ice Cream (£2.00, 600ml), is a triple-layered praline chocolate bonanza, featuring delightfully crispy praline and sumptuous chocolate, all stacked with hazelnut and vanilla ice-cream, and drizzled in hazelnut sauce – what is there not to love?

Arriving alongside it in Iceland and The Food Warehouse’s luxury ice creams range is the new Luxury Triple Layer Chocolate Ice Cream (£2.00, 600ml). The freezer favourite includes milk chocolate drizzled in a white chocolate sauce. It would be hard not to eat the whole tub in one go.

For more information about Iceland’s range, please visit: www.iceland.co.uk

DAWN LAUNCHES FROZEN, INDULGENT AND GLUTEN FREE SWEET TREATS

Dawn Foods has expanded its gluten free offering with a range of frozen gluten free sweet bakery products, featuring injected muffins and a chocolate brownie, all made using Dawn’s gluten free mixes and fillings.

Produced in a dedicated gluten free environment and supplied frozen, each product is individually wrapped in printed film with full nutritional information to comply with Natasha’s Law.

Dawn’s new gluten free frozen range includes a Double Chocolate Filled Muffin, made with indulgent Belgian white and dark chocolate chunks, and filled with a delicious chocolate sauce. The Lemon Filled Muffin gives a moist eat too, thanks to the creamy and zesty lemon filling and added crunch from the sugar nibs on top.

Targeting the trend for salted caramel, the filled Caramel Muffin has salted caramel fudge pieces and a sweet caramel filling. For consumers who prefer a fruity muffin, the new Mixed Berry Muffin in the range is full of blueberry flavoured cranberries in a berry and vanilla flavoured muffin, finished with a raspberry injection and sugar nibs for added texture.

The muffins come in cases of 12, making them easier to store as well as saving space.

Indulgent and rich, Dawn’s gluten free Chocolate Brownie is filled with Belgian dark chocolate chunks and sprinkled with crunchy demerara sugar.

“According to Coeliac UK 10% of UK consumers now claim to follow a gluten free diet whether for health or lifestyle reasons. Mintel estimates the gluten free market to be worth £416 million and it is estimated to grow by 6.2% by 2025. It is a real opportunity for bakers to expand their range and gain more customers,” explains Jacqui Passmore, Marketing Manager UK and Ireland at Dawn Foods.

“Consumers are keen to choose gluten free bakery products which taste just as good as their regular counterparts. Bakers now have the choice to use Dawn’s gluten free bakery mixes to create their own seasonal or signature products or buy in Dawn’s new gluten free muffins and brownie which are not only ready to thaw and serve, but available in flavours that their customers will love.

“Nutritional information on each pack also means that outlets have the peace of mind that Dawn’s gluten free products comply with the new Natasha’s Law”.

For more information about the company, its products and culture, please visit www.dawnfoods.com.

OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL AMONGST FIRST CHILLED FMCG CONSOLIDATORS TO EMBRACE RFID TECHNOLOGY

One of the first UK chilled FMCG consolidators to invest in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) despatch technology, Oakland International has installed state of the art RFID technology throughout their Bardon operation, working alongside traditional barcodes where individual cases are barcoded, and the pallet is RFID tagged.

RFID technology identifies tagged objects using radio waves and is capable of automatically reading hundreds of barcodes per second without line of sight, compared to a standard barcode system which requires sight and manual, individual scanning.  RFID technology supported with quality software development provides greater accuracy through the removal of human error on missed or duplicated barcode scans.

Oakland International Group Innovation Officer Lindsay Winser explained: “RFID technology means we are now able to provide more accurate data for our customers including showing when goods pallets left the warehouse and confirming which bay they left from, the vehicle they were loaded onto and the time loaded.

“Whilst manual barcode systems can also provide some of this information, it is the automation and removal of human error which makes this information so precise, giving our customers enhanced confidence in our ability to deliver correctly. Tagged pallets cannot exit bays without being read and warning alarms are triggered if pallets pass through an incorrect bay or are removed from a bay once marked as loaded.”

Having surveyed and tested numerous systems, the one chosen by Oakland is able to provide directional path information, for the most accurate bay confirmation. Different tag sizes were also rigorously tested to ensure readability and optimum positioning. Printer heads have also been upgraded to enable the onsite printing of the RFID tags and RFID readers are now installed in each bay with a viewing tablet to show the operator the status of each tag in their vehicle load.

Staggeringly, due to the complexity of the RFID system, after only five-months it is fully operational from initial concept feasibility to installation, with the equipment IP rated for use within chilled environments where condensation from cold can be problematic. The software will continue to be developed and amended, as Oakland fine tunes the new information and integrates the functionality with additional technology as it comes online, including CCTV and vehicle recognition.

Chief Operating Officer Lee Whiting added: “RFID is yet another indicator for our customers that Oakland International remains an innovator and forward thinking FMCG consolidator at the forefront of an industry known to be slow to adopt to technological change that some other sectors more readily embrace.

“RFID technology provides our customers with added confidence that we have the most robust and evidenced delivery system, with the added benefit of a receipt tagged pallet should they adopt the same technology.”

Investigating RFID technology as an option for their transport fleet to offer a fully monitored closed loop solution, Oakland International operates 24-hours/7 days a week and is a D2C/B2C/B2B specialist in contract packing, storage, picking, food distribution and a brand development support provider for ambient, chilled and frozen food to the retail, convenience, discount, wholesale and food service markets in the UK, Ireland and via their partner in Spain.

XPO LOGISTICS LEADS FORTUNE 500 TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS RANKING FOR FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

XPO Logistics, a leading global provider of supply chain solutions, has again been ranked No. 1 among Fortune 500 transportation and logistics companies, as announced by Fortune magazine today — leading its industry for the fifth straight year. The company ranks No. 190 on the Fortune 500 overall, based on 2020 revenue of $16.252 billion.

Brad Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of XPO Logistics, said, “Over the five years that we’ve topped the Fortune 500 category of transportation and logistics, we’ve shown that we can outperform in any environment. We’re honoured to once again lead our industry ranking and remain among the Fortune 200.”

In January, Fortune named XPO one of the World’s Most Admired Companies from among 1,500 companies in 52 industries. XPO has been selected by Fortune for this recognition every year since 2018.

GSCOP ONLINE WORKSHOP

BFFF, in collaboration with the retail mind, is pleased to bring you a 3 session GSCOP Online workshop aimed at the commercial teams and key finance & supply chain colleagues.  Dates available in September and November.  Book early to avoid disappointment.

The workshop will be delivered via Zoom and is presented by Ged Futter from the retail mind. The workshop is across 2 x 2-hour sessions & 1 x 2.5-hour session with an element of pre-work & homework. The retail mind will use SurveyMonkey to assess each delegate’s understanding before & after each workshop.

Workshop one – The UK Grocery Market & background to the Code

  • What are the Retailers doing, how Code compliant are they, what is driving their behaviours?
  • GSCOP during a ‘Price War’
  • Why GSCOP came into practice.
  • Who is covered & why?
  • The role of the GCA & the importance of the annual Survey
  • Homework

Workshop two – GSCOP, what it means, how to use the Code to manage Risk & protect revenue / profit.

  • Buyers & GSCOP, are they trained?
  • Supply Agreements – what do you have?
  • Verbal agreements – ensuring compliance.
  • Variation / retrospective changes – how to avoid them.
  • GSCOP & Finance – delay in payments / 3rd party auditors
  • Lump sums – what is allowed, what can you offer?
  • Forecasting – best practice
  • Promotions – what should you be paying for?
  • Customer complaints – how to reduce the cost of complaints.
  • De-listing – what should a Retailer be doing?
  • Homework

Workshop three – using GSCOP effectively, how has the Code been used in the past five years, what will you do differently?

  • The GCA since March 2015, including a review of Tesco & Co-op investigations, Best Practice statements & Asda / Morrisons clarifications
  • How to use GSCOP collaboratively
  • Examples of how we have used GSCOP with clients, what was the issue, what did we do, what was the result?
  • Hints & tips – what and who to be aware of
  • Break out groups – What are you going to do differently?

COSTS

The cost of this online workshop is £500 / delegate.  BFFF members get a 15% discount.

These sessions are interactive and highly engaging and use a combination of polls, chat and break-out rooms.

To register your interest contact Kate Miller

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
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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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