Tues 18th Nov, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London

AFTER 24 YEARS OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL WISHES HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM A FOND FAREWELL

Posted on by hayley.smith@oakland-international.com

Total supply chain provider Oakland International bid a fond farewell to husband-and-wife duo Rob and Michaela Hartland, who retired together after 24 years of dedicated service.

Rob, part of the Direct-to-Consumer warehouse team, and Michaela, the company’s long-serving office cleaner, were celebrated with a surprise afternoon tea held in their honour.

Oakland International Co-Founder Dean Attwell marked the occasion by presenting the couple with flowers and gifts, expressing heartfelt thanks for their outstanding contribution over the years.

Both Rob, a passionate cyclist and fitness enthusiast, and Michaela, who enjoys arts and crafts, look forward to spending more time on caravan holidays with their cherished pet dogs.

Reflecting on their time at Oakland, Rob said: “There aren’t many employers like Oakland who care so much about their workforce. We are both sad to go but excited for the next chapter of our lives together.”

A Certified B Corporation and leading supply chain solutions provider, Oakland International specialises in temperature-controlled logistics across the UK and Ireland. Serving retail, wholesale, and food service markets, Oakland offers expertise in direct-to-consumer services, case consolidation, contract packing, storage and distribution, food tempering, and brand development support. With a strong focus on sustainability, innovation, and reducing waste through its distress load management service, the company is committed to becoming the first in its sector to achieve net zero, all while staying true to its family values and community spirit.

 

THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL FROZEN FOOD CONFERENCE – 7TH OCTOBER AT ANUGA

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

The 2nd International Frozen Food Conference will take place during Anuga 2025 in Cologne.

Join  BFFF CEO, Rupert Ashby and representatives from BFFF Members Iceland as they present alongside a host of frozen industry experts.  The event is free to BFFF members; however you will need to have a ticket to Anuga to attend.

Details of the event and the agenda can be found below.

IFFN_Conference_Program

Invitation to IFFN Conference

Please register by September 25, 2025 via this link: https://www.tiefkuehlkost.de/vf?h=PmPGV2VT

If you are at Anuga, it is a great opportunity to attend and network with others from the International Frozen Food Network.

IGD LAUNCH ALLERGEN RISK ASSESSMENT TEMPLATE AND GUIDANCE

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Following months of collaboration, an industry working group united by The Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) have now published a template for allergen risk assessment, complete with comprehensive supporting guidance.

IGD’s Technical Leaders Forum championed the opportunity to improve food safety through collaboration with the aim that by implementing uniform, best-practice risk assessments across industry, it will foster a more secure and dependable environment for those living with allergies.

This new template and guidance can enhance the consistency in allergen risk assessment approaches and support manufacturers in raising the bar for best practice.

The template and guidance is freely available to all on the IGD website here

 

GOVERNMENT SUSPEND EXTRA BORDER CHECKS AHEAD OF UK-EU DEAL

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

The government has announced that it is suspending the introduction of extra border checks on live animal imports from the EU, and specific animal and plant goods from Ireland, to support British businesses and ease trade ahead of its new SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) deal with the EU.

The deal will establish a UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary zone, cutting costs and red tape for businesses that export and import from the EU, reducing delays at the border, and making food trade with the UK’s biggest market cheaper and easier.

Under the agreement, border checks on live animal imports from the EU as well as on certain plant and animal goods arriving from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (termed non-qualifying goods) will not be required, as their implementation is disproportionate.

Some live animals imported from the EU will continue to be inspected at their place of destination based on a series of risk factors. Non-qualifying goods arriving from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland can continue to enter the UK without physical inspection, and will continue to require pre-notification and certification in some instance.

The suspension will be reviewed on a rolling basis to ensure the biosecurity of the UK is effectively maintained.

While the details of the agreement are negotiated, traders must continue to comply with the terms of the UK’s Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) that protect the essential biosecurity of the country, including existing checks.

In summary:

For live animal imports, the existing system of controls on Rest of World imports through Border Control Posts (BCPs) will be maintained, and remote documentary checks and checks on EU and EFTA imports at destination will continue.

For non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods arriving from Ireland and Northern Ireland, this pause means that, where required, pre-notification and certification will continue.

Current controls on goods transiting GB between Ireland and the mainland EU will remain in place.

The current easement on certain medium risk fruits and vegetables from the EU, CH and LI will be temporarily extended, as per recent correspondence.

 

IOSH MANAGING SAFELY TRAINING COURSE

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Due to popular demand and great feedback, we are running the 3 Day IOSH Managing Safely Virtual Course on 29th, 30th and 31st October aimed at BFFF members by Simon Brentnall our Head of Health & Safety.

£450.00+ VAT per Delegate

Top 5 delegate benefits:

  • Assess and control risks
  • Understand your own responsibilities
  • Investigate incidents & accidents
  • Measure your own performance
  • Personal reflection on good practice

 

What’s Included:

  • IOSH approved trainer
  • Delivered Face to face on Zoom
  • Delegate workbooks provided
  • Certificate of completion
  • 1-1 Support

To secure your place, please contact simonbrentnall@bfff.co.uk

WSH AND BIDFOOD PARTNERSHIP BRINGS INNOVATIVE LOWER-CARBON MEAT SUPPLIER TO FOODSERVICE MENUS

Posted on by Billy Moone

Hospitality business WSH has partnered with Bidfood to introduce Legghorn – a supplier of lower-carbon, high welfare chicken mince – into the foodservice sector.

Legghorn will supply the foodservice sector with chicken mince from 420-day-old breeder hen meat, often considered a ‘by-product’ of the chicken industry, which has just 1.31kg of carbon per kilo of mince (1).

The hens are antibiotic-free and are only vaccinated for Salmonella and Newcastle disease and come from Red Tractor-certified farms, a recognised welfare standard.

Pre-industrialisation, Italian kitchens prized gallina vecchiameat from mature hens, with a depth of flavour that was often used to make ragu.

Full of flavour, the meat can also be used for recipes such as Bolognese, kofte, meatballs, burgers, chicken Kiev and chicken royale.

This new partnership follows a successful trial at a number of WSH brands, including BaxterStorey, Searcys and BM Caterers who have all trialled the product across a number of locations and events, including at the BaxterStorey Obsessed Expo, a Searcys ESG Summit and a BM client ESG roundtable in May.

A soft launch of the product in June has seen it added to menus at eight WSH locations, with a ramp-up over the summer in collaboration with Bidfood.

The introduction comes via Bidfood’s Open Doors programme, launched in 2023 to support small businesses to succeed in the foodservice sector by sharing knowledge, guidance and insight, access to customer showcase opportunities, and help with market visibility. The programme has engaged more than 450 suppliers since launching, with a key focus on suppliers delivering the most progressive and innovative offerings.

Kevin Dunford, Head of Food & UK Agriculture Procurement at WSH, said: “We’re really happy to be supporting Legghorn’s highly nutritious but still delicious approach to tackling the challenges faced across our food system. As part of our Second Nature ESG goals, this is yet another innovative way to help us reduce our carbon footprint and a smarter way to honour the whole animal. The chef community across our brands have come together to work alongside procurement to really focus on higher welfare and reducing carbon in our meat supply chain. As an industry we need to think differently to solve the challenges we face.”

Richard Murray, Founder of Legghorn, said: “I’m incredibly grateful to be partnering with WSH and Bidfood to bring Legghorn to the foodservice sector. Their belief in our goal – to make better use of what we already have, and to reduce carbon without compromising on quality – has been instrumental in getting this off the ground. It’s exciting to see chefs embracing Legghorn not just for its sustainability, but also for its flavour and versatility.”

Andrew Allen, Entrepreneur-in-Residence and lead on Bidfood’s Open Doors Programme, said: “The Open Doors Programme has always been centred on creating a system that enables the most progressive and innovative suppliers to get to market, and to Bidfood customers. From the first conversation, it was clear Legghorn was a perfect supplier to support, particularly given the fit with WSH’s goals.”

COLD CLAD CONQUERS THE WELSH 3 PEAKS IN SUPPORT OF SIGNPOSTED CYMRU

Posted on by Richard Tassinari

Over the 2nd and 3rd October 2025, Team Cold Clad are taking on the Welsh 3 Peaks Challenge to fundraise for Signposted Cymru, a Wales-based charity that provides essential mental health and wellbeing support to people across the UK. Their ethos is simple but powerful: no one is turned away. Mental health can affect anyone, anywhere, at any time, and having access to guidance, resources, and support can make an incredible difference in someone’s life.

We are reaching out to you for Sponsorship. £500 gets your logo on the front or back of our event jerseys, whilst £350 gets your logo on the sleeve. Whichever option you take, BFFF will be mentioned on all Cold Clad’s and Signposted Cymru’s websites, social media, and event advertising.

Should you wish to take up this opportunity, please let Tony Harold know asap so Signposted Cymru can send you an invoice for the sponsored amount and request your logo for inclusion on the event jerseys.

Either in addition to, or in place of the above Sponsorship, Cold Clad are asking for donations to be made directly via their Just Giving page link below.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/cold-clad-welsh-3-peaks-signposted-cymru?utm_medium=FA&utm_source=CL

Signposted Cymru highlights that every £350 raised provides one person with eight counselling sessions. Every donation, no matter the size, contributes directly to helping someone find the support they need to navigate challenges, improve their wellbeing, and regain hope.

By supporting our challenge, you are helping us turn every step we take into real impact. Your generosity ensures more people can access vital mental health services and feel less alone on their journey. Please join us in supporting this wonderful cause and help us make a lasting difference in people’s lives.

KFF AND MEDINA FOODSERVICE APPOINT NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR

Posted on by Annie Bhatti

Regional wholesalers Kent-based kff and Medina Foodservice, which operates from depots on the Isle of Wight and Southampton, have announced that Neil Williams will become their new Managing Director.

kff and Medina are both subsidiaries of the world’s leading foodservice supplier, Sysco, and specialise in providing a wide range of high-quality food to local pubs, restaurants, schools and other venues serving food. They both have a particular emphasis on supplying products from regional producers in their locations.

Neil takes on the role of Managing Director of both businesses after spending more than ten years in various roles at sister company Brakes, most recently as Regional Sales Director. He has extensive experience in both customer-facing and operational roles, which will help him to build on the businesses long-standing and excellent reputation for delivering high service levels.

Neil said: “I am very excited by the opportunity to lead these two exceptional businesses. They have fantastic reputations for customer service and product quality. As part of Sysco, the businesses have the backing and investment to continue to grow and develop and I’m looking forward to being part of that.”

Neil replaces Mark Taylor, who is moving to another role within Sysco GB.