We hear the word ‘Sustainability’ almost constantly today in every walk of business life. Whether this is on packaging, supply chains or indeed raw materials, so it was good to hear at first hand from a major wholesaler what it means for them.

We were joined at the BFFF Business Conference by Hugo Mahoney (CEO of Brakes) who walked us through Brakes’ CRS Strategy.

Key themes were Food Poverty in the UK, the Rise of Obesity Worldwide, Food waste and the challenges we face in Reducing Packaging combined with keeping it out of our oceans. However, if was also clear that sustainability touches so many other areas and requires significant investment in expertise. Hugo fully understood the need to support smaller suppliers who lack the knowledge and resources to manage the variety of complex areas.

Even closer to home we have issues of things like Modern Slavery – something that was recently highlighted on a training seminar the BFFF ran in conjunction with Primary Authority and another BFFF member.

He also highlighted the massive amount of food waste created especially in 2020 with the various lockdowns and sometimes with short notice.

Hugo also recognised that frozen food products had played a key role in ensuring food service outlets could provide a menu for trade that was variable and uncertain.

A key ‘take out’ on the Sustainability Road Map is collaboration. So, if you are interested to join the recently launched BFFF Special Interest Group (SIG) on Sustainability then please contact Siobhan.

The presentation from this year’s Frozen Food Business Conference will be made available to all attendees.  If you were not able to purchase a ticket, please contact Siobhan O’Callaghan.

Simon Stenning joined our Business Conference on Wednesday, 21^st April 2021 and gave a thought-provoking view on the future of Food Service as we start to emerge from the latest lockdown.

His view is that the future will be different from pre Covid, although some of the trends that have emerged over the last 12 months will stay and in some cases accelerate.

Simon estimates that between 2020 and 2025 the market will lose some £125bn in sales only returning to 2019 levels in 2024. With some short-term financial challenges such as changes to VAT, reductions in Business Rates Relief and the ending of the Furlough Scheme, the market will face some head winds.

Whilst 2020 was an appalling year, 2021 will bring it owns challenges in how the market will recover. City Centre locations face the uncertainty of when office workers will return  – will this be full time or only part of the week and how will this impact the traditional trading patterns.

It is also difficult to predict when, and if, tourists will return. In 2019 we had just under 41 million tourists visit the UK. In 2020 we only saw 9.7 million. Current estimates suggest 2021 will be 16.9 million, however, with ever-changing restrictions by country it is impossible to have any certainty.

Simon also highlighted the key food trends that are now emerging with ‘speed of service’ now playing an ever-greater role – whether that is preparing the product or a delivered service.

We are also seeing a blurring of lines with places like farm shops now adding restaurants and cafes.

On a final note, Simon is offering BFFF members a £500 discount on his latest report ‘The Future of Food Service’. Any members interested in this offer should contact Siobhan.

The presentation from this year’s Frozen Food Business Conference will be made available to all attendees.  If you were not able to purchase a ticket, please contact Siobhan O’Callaghan.

THE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

Roger Martin-Fagg, Economist

Roger, a stalwart of the Federation’s Business Conferences, joined us again for our Online conference.

He highlighted that Governments around the World have changed the way they view Government debt. So, rather than focusing on reducing they have collectively injected massive funds into their respective economies.

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TOP 10 FOOD & DRINK TRENDS AND THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL DRIVING FORCES BEHIND THEM

Charles Banks, The Food People

We had the pleasure of Charles Bank, co-founder of The Food People, joined us for this year’s BFFF Business Conference, where he talked to us about the top 10 food and drink trends of 2021/22.

It was interesting to hear that frozen is one of the top 10 trends – “Consumers of all ages are very enticed by the taste, health and budget credentials of frozen food”.

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EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES

Nicola Thomas, FDEA

Participating in the BFFF Business Conference on Tuesday we heard Nicola Thomas of the Food and Drink Exporters Association (FDEA) give an overview of the opportunities that exist in the export market.

Her first point was that in many regions of the World the Food Markets are changing in structure so that in many ways they resemble Grocery and Food Service Markets in Europe.

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Participating in the BFFF Business Conference on Tuesday we heard Nicola Thomas of the Food and Drink Exporters Association (FDEA) give an overview of the opportunities that exist in the export market.

Her first point was that in many regions of the World the Food Markets are changing in structure so that in many ways they resemble Grocery and Food Service Markets in Europe.

The Pandemic has accelerated the requirement for food that is produced safely and to high standards – something the UK manufacturing base is well recognised for. Her phrase for this was the ‘Power of Made in Britain’.

As markets develop there is also more interest in Own Label, which again plays to the strength of many BFFF members where we can leverage skill knowledge and expertise in supporting retailers seeking to develop an Own Label range or indeed in improving an existing range.

Data gathered by FDEA suggested the Frozen Food Market globally will grow by 5% between 2020 and 2025. Key trends are very similar to the UK with Vegan, Free From and Better For You products. Health and Wellness is now a Global trend.

However, to be successful you need to plan, create a clear strategy and do your research on which regions or countries are the best target for your products.

With the Government providing support for exporters there is no better time than now to seek to expand your horizons.

The presentation from this year’s Frozen Food Business Conference will be made available to all attendees.  If you were not able to purchase a ticket, please contact Siobhan O’Callaghan.

We had the pleasure of Charles Bank, co-founder of The Food People, joined us for this year’s BFFF Business Conference, where he talked to us about the top 10 food and drink trends of 2021/22.

It was interesting to hear that frozen is one of the top 10 trends – “Consumers of all ages are very enticed by the taste, health and budget credentials of frozen food”.

When this is combined with the innovation, and minimal waste, frozen is seen as being very relevant today. It is also comforting that the freezer makes consumers feel prepared.

Our category also fits well into two other trends Charles highlighted of ‘mini splurge’ and ‘thrift’.

The ‘mini splurge’ is the food equivalent of the ‘lipstick effect’ where consumers use small treats to reward themselves. This is where small luxury food items come to the fore – this can include a finished product or providing an indulgent frozen item to be combined with other ingredients e.g., frozen exotic mushrooms into an omelette.

Thrift is with a key focus on the environment so that purchasing decision are made based upon the impact on the climate or as Charles stated, “Consumers and Businesses are getting thrifty for both cost and environmental reasons”.

These are only some of the top line points from his presentation. For those that booked for the Business Conference a full recording of the presentation will be made available.

The presentation from this year’s Frozen Food Business Conference will be made available to all attendees.  If you were not able to purchase a ticket, please contact Siobhan O’Callaghan.