Mentor Training, the UK’s leading provider of material handling equipment training, is urging businesses to ensure they reduce risk in areas where workplace transport operates, and vehicles and pedestrians mix.

Where vehicles and pedestrians share the same area, there is always an inherent level of risk. Over the last ten years, HSE statistics on employees indicate that being struck by a moving vehicle accounted for 1,264 non-fatal injuries and 9 fatalities reported under RIDDOR.

Wherever possible, segregation is key, but some scenarios require further measures to ensure all parties are protected. For example, when the operator cannot safely obtain a clear view of the route ahead, risk increases dramatically, putting them and those around them in danger.

In response to challenges facing the industry, Mentor Training has developed a brand-new course which equips businesses with a valuable safety solution to assist in high-risk areas.

Workplace Transport Marshal training provides colleagues with the skills and knowledge to act as a chaperone, helping operators to ensure that equipment can be manoeuvred safely around site without causing harm to people or damage to buildings, stock or the equipment itself.

The half-day course covers all key elements, including compliance with the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974, clarification on where and when this method can be used and safe systems of work, alongside full practical training. The course is available on customer sites nationwide and accredited by the Association of Accredited Truck Trainers (AITT) to confirm its alignment with all relevant standards.

Mentor’s Commercial Director, Adam Smith, explains its importance, “This new course was developed to ensure both the operator and any pedestrians working around them remain safe onsite. Large loads can impair operator visibility and, where it’s not possible to drive in reverse, or environmental factors like tight corners come into play, assistance is vital.”

“In our experience of working with a wide range of companies, we understand that many working environments warrant supplementary solutions to reinforce existing segregation in shared areas. Pedestrians may underestimate the hazards, bypassing barriers or crossing the paths of vehicles they perceive to be slow-moving, and inadvertently put themselves in harm’s way. Trained marshals can ensure the operator’s route is clear, communicate with the driver and prevent them from leaning out of the confines of the vehicle for a better view.”

Adam concludes, “If you have operators and pedestrians working closely together, and you fail to mitigate the risks, you are putting your people and your business in danger. The simple addition of trained marshals to guide workplace transport in these instances can significantly reduce the risk of serious accidents and injuries, ensuring that everyone on site returns home safely at the end of the day.”

For further information on Workplace Transport Marshal training, visit Mentor’s website, or call 01246 555222 and speak with one of their expert advisors.

Thermoscreens is a UK manufacturer specialising in high-performance air curtains for commercial and industrial environments. We work closely with cold-chain operators to improve temperature control, reduce energy loss, and maintain safe, efficient access at chiller and freezer doorways.

Introducing Thermoscreens Cold Chain

We’ve recently launched Thermoscreens Cold Chain, built around our CS Air Curtain.

Installed inside chiller and freezer door openings, it activates only when doors are open, creating a stable barrier of air that keeps cold air in and warm air out, without the need for PVC strip curtains or restricted access.

Key Benefits

Cold-chain operators typically see:

• More stable temperatures
• Reduced ice build-up
• Fewer defrost cycles
• Lower energy consumption
• Safer, easier access for staff and vehicles

That’s why airline caterers, supermarkets, and cold-chain facilities across the UK are already adopting the solution.

Exclusive BFFF Member Offer

As a member of the British Frozen Food Federation, you are entitled to an exclusive 20% discount on Thermoscreens Cold Chain air curtains (CS Slimline / CS Series).

If you are reviewing cold store performance, or simply want an honest assessment of whether this solution would work for your facility, our team is happy to help, including a no-obligation site review.

View the Thermoscreens Cold Chain E-Brochure here:
https://bit.ly/46hMmAg

Get in Touch

Chad Degville-Cross
chad.degville-cross@thermoscreens.com
+44 7977 981112

Alastair Fawcett
alastair.fawcett@thermoscreens.com
+44 7375 541105

Thermoscreens.com’

 

Cotswold Fayre has announced the appointment of Gary Jordaan as its new Operations Director, further strengthening the company’s Senior Leadership Team as it continues to invest in service excellence and future growth.

Gary is a proven transformation leader with over 20 years’ extensive supply chain and operations experience gained at significantly larger food and drink operators, bringing deep operational expertise across ambient, chilled, and frozen categories. He previously held senior roles at Euro Food Brands, a business with revenues of over £200 million, BOSH! Media, Mars and Friesland Campina, where he worked closely with third-party logistics partners support complex, multi-temperature supply chains.

Commenting on the appointment, Paul Hargreaves, CEO, said: “We are delighted to welcome Gary to Cotswold Fayre. He brings a wealth of experience from larger-scale operations, which will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our business and raise the bar on service for our customers. Gary’s background across ambient, chilled, and frozen, combined with his expertise in working with 3PL partners, will help take our operations to the next level.”

Gary Jordaan added: “I’m excited to be joining Cotswold Fayre at such an important stage in its journey. The business has a strong reputation for quality, sustainability and service, and I’m looking forward to working with the team to strengthen operational capability, support future growth, and ensure we continue to deliver an excellent experience for customers, whilst reducing our footprint on the planet.”

In his role at Cotswold Fayre Gary will focus on supporting sustainable cross-category growth, enhancing service excellence and building scalable processes to support the business’s long-term ambitions.

Compliance shouldn’t be a headache; it should be your business’s greatest strength. By training your team to see fire safety as a collective responsibility, you protect your people, your property, and your reputation.

Our new Fire Safety Awareness course is engaging, accessible, and designed to drive real-world changes in practice. It is a great foundation for every employee and volunteer across offices, manufacturing, hospitality, retail, healthcare, early years, and industrial settings. It’s for team leaders who promote safe practices and for small business owners carrying the full weight of fire precautions. When everyone understands their role, a workplace becomes demonstrably safer.

This course provides the first step to getting your team prepared for fire incidents. Make sure you risk assess and follow up with formal fire marshall training and more specialised input from fire experts where needed.

For more information – SFG LAUNCH NEW FIRE SAFETY AWARENESS COURSE

Click Here to Learn More & Enrol Your Team Today

 

From 30 March to 1 April, Farm Trans will participate in the International Food & Drink Event (IFE) in London, United Kingdom. This event is a global meeting place for innovators in the food industry. Discover at the fair how Farm Trans can be your partner throughout the entire logistics process — from bulk to fresh products and from warehousing to international delivery.

The exhibition will take place at ExCeL London. You can find us in Hall 11, stand number 3853. Our team of specialists looks forward to discussing how we can optimize your global supply chain.

Your global supply chain partner in Agri & Food

Farm Trans is a leading provider of safe, smart, and integrated logistics solutions for Agri & Food (4PL). With years of experience in global logistics for bulk, fresh, ambient, and frozen products, we offer full expertise across all modes of transport. We ensure your products move safely, efficiently, and reliably from origin to destination.

Complete logistics solutions: 4PL

We fully support your supply chain with LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) and FTL (Full-Truckload) transport, optimized storage and distribution through warehouses and cross-docks, chilled, frozen, and ambient transport, VAS (value-added services), tailored freight forwarding, and smart supply chain management solutions. This enables us to streamline the entire logistics process and truly take the burden of logistics off your hands.

From and to the United Kingdom

With our specialization in LTL and FTL shipments, we ensure efficient departures from, to, and within the United Kingdom. Our expertise lies in the logistics of fresh and frozen Agri & Food products, including all required export and import documentation. This enables seamless customs clearance and ensures timely deliveries, even for time-sensitive products such as fresh meat and poultry. Our advanced IT solutions and real-time portals provide visibility and control at every step of the supply chain.

Proud member of the British Frozen Food Federation

Farm Trans is a member of the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), the trade association for frozen food in the United Kingdom. Together with more than 200 members, including manufacturers, wholesalers, importers, exporters, and retailers, we are committed to the continued professionalization of the sector.

Farm Trans network event

We are pleased to host hospitality receptions at our stand on three consecutive days, offering light refreshments and beverages. You are welcome to join us during the following time slots:

• Monday 30 March and Tuesday 31 March: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
• Wednesday 1 April: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

A great opportunity to meet informally or catch up and discuss questions such as: What does it mean to be a global supply chain partner in Agri & Food? Which transport and logistics solutions can we offer for fresh, ambient, and frozen products? How can you efficiently optimize warehousing and end-to-end supply chain management?

Visit Us at IFE London 2026

Event: International Food & Drink Event (IFE)

Date: 30 March – 1 April 2026

Location: Excel London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London E16 1XL

Stand location: Hall 11, stand 3853

Would you like more information or to schedule a meeting during the exhibition? Please contact the Farm Trans Sales Manager:

Louise Gigg

Sales Manager UK

+44 (0) 7909 446488

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is gathering evidence on how the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) is operating in practice.

They would like to understand stakeholders’ on-the-ground experiences – the processes and checks followed at the border, how these work in practice, and any operational challenges encountered.

To support this work, Defra has commissioned Ecorys, an independent research organisation, to gather insights from key industry representatives, and your perspective is essential.

If any BFFF members would be willing to participate in an interview, please could you email deniserion@bfff.co.uk by 20^th February latest, confirming you agree for your contact details to be shared with Defra.

Research interviews will last 60 minutes and take place in February 2026 via Microsoft Teams. All interviews will be audio-recorded to ensure accurate reporting. These recordings will be stored securely and permanently deleted at the end of the project. See the Privacy Notice for more information.

A summary of all interview findings will be reported to Defra anonymously, with insights grouped by stakeholder type to ensure meaningful feedback for each sector. The report will be published on Defra’s Science Search.

Your input is vital in helping Defra understand how the current BTOM arrangements are working on the ground. This research will contribute to Defra’s evidence base as the UK develops its approach to future Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreements.

Your participation will help:

• Ensure BTOM implementation reflects real-world challenges and opportunities
• Inform Defra’s evidence base as SPS discussions progress
• Provide insight into operational impacts and potential areas for improvement

The interview discussion will cover:

• Your views on BTOM’s biosecurity aims and their implications for your organisation
• Your perspective on the new border checks introduced by BTOM
• Operational improvements or challenges experienced since BTOM implementation
• How business models have adapted to comply with BTOM border regulations
• Whether changes to supply chains and practices (e.g., groupage) are likely to persist in the context of ongoing SPS discussions with the EU

Defra are particularly interested in hearing from importers, exporters, hauliers and logistics providers.

Join Seafish for an online webinar on Thursday 12^th February, which will provide an overview of the opportunities for UK seafood companies interested in looking to export their fish and shellfish to either Vietnam or South Korea.

The webinar, supported by the Department for Business and Trade, and hosted by Seafish, will feature:

• Background information on, and details of the current economic situation in, the two respective countries
• An overview of the seafood sectors in Vietnam and South Korea
• Export insight regarding trade between the UK and Vietnam and South Korea
• Details on the regulatory and tariff frameworks regarding the export of fish and shellfish to Vietnam and South Korea
• Information on export opportunities for UK seafood companies

Register here

The GCA’s 2026 annual supplier survey is now live. It will remain open until Sunday 22 February, and we encourage as many suppliers as possible to complete it: https://start.yougov.com/refer/v2hzX1srKpYfq7

The survey is carried out by independent polling company YouGov, on behalf of the GCA, and responses will be treated confidentially.

The findings will help to understand how each of the designated retailers has treated suppliers over the past year and inform the work of the GCA. We will use the results to hold the retailers to account for any issues or concerning behaviour and work with them to drive any necessary improvements.

Next steps

The GCA will publish the results in spring 2026.

YouGov will also conduct anonymous follow-up interviews with a select group of suppliers to explore their experiences supplying the designated retailers in more detail. If you would like to participate, please provide your consent and contact details at the end of the survey.

Raising issues

Each designated retailer has a Code Compliance Officer (CCO) who operates independently from the buying teams. CCOs are available to discuss any matters relating to their organisation’s obligations under the Groceries Code. Suppliers can confidentially raise issues with CCOs, and CCOs will only share a supplier’s issue with others in their business with the supplier’s express permission.

All designated retailers have committed to ensuring that suppliers who raise an issue, whether with the CCO, a buyer, or anyone else in the organisation, will not face any retribution for doing so.

We are committed to ensuring that suppliers feel confident raising issues and actively monitor the designated retailers’ adherence to their commitments.

You can also contact the GCA confidentially via email or by using my anonymous reporting platform, Tell the GCA. We have a legal obligation to protect your confidentiality, and  will never without express permission share any information with a designated retailer that could identify a supplier.