Tues 18th Nov, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London

BONCULINA ENTERS UK HEALTHCARE MARKET WITH ACQUISITION OF PREPARED MEAL MANUFACTURER ANGLIA CROWN

Posted on by Gail Walker

International foodservice operator, BonCulina, has today acquired Anglia Crown Ltd, a specialist prepared meal provider for hospitals and care homes in the UK. BonCulina managing director David Garland will take responsibility for overall control of the business.

BonCulina is an international expert at providing foodservice solutions, which include  Smart Catering, a full contract catering solution, Plug & Play, a flexible catering offer and the innovative BonCulina Anytime which enables a hot meal option to be available 24 hours a day.

David Garland explains. “Acquiring Anglia Crown was the next logical step for BonCulina. We looked at a number of opportunities and Anglia Crown was the best fit. They have licensed our patented technology for their packaging for several years and it was the right time to increase our involvement with the business. We’ve identified some good opportunities for growth which are in line with our own ambitions in the UK, and we’re excited to work with them. We are keen to build on Anglia Crown’s 30-year sector knowledge and experience as we enter the UK healthcare market.”

Anglia Crown Ltd was founded in 1992 and has an annual turnover of around £16.5Million. It is an award-winning, chilled and frozen prepared meal manufacturer for healthcare and complementary markets. Supplying a range of multi and single portion dishes to patients, residents, and customers, last year it celebrated its 30th birthday. Based in Colchester, the 4600 square metre facility employs more than 180 people and manufactures approximately 40,000 chilled and frozen meals every weekday. Alongside manufacturing a full range of hot meal options across all food groups, it has developed a front-running reputation in vegan meal manufacturing.

Anglia Crown was previously sold from foodservice giant Bakkavor in July 2018, in a management buyout by directors Paul Howell and Andrew Lone

The acquisition of Anglia Crown is BonCulina’s second in the UK and follows its procurement of Hot Food Vending company Bon Appetit in April 2021.

https://www.bonculina.com/en/

BRAKES FOODIE EXPO GOES BACK ON THE ROAD

Posted on by clare.twiss@brake.co.uk

Three years after its last live customer event, Brakes is taking its Food Expo back on the road, providing customers with the opportunity to taste new products and ranges, as well as hearing the latest insights about food trends.

After a pandemic-enforced absence, Brakes is launching two new events in Edgbaston, Birmingham and Knutsford, Cheshire to allow customers to see first-hand its range of new products. As well as an all-encompassing stand from Brakes, there will also be more than 30 other food exhibitors, including Heinz, Meatless Farm, Nestle, Kelloggs, Pladis and many other leading food and drink brands.

Mandy Van Hagen, Marketing Sector Manager at Brakes, said: “The past three years has seen Brakes reinvent the way in which we talk to customers, leading the way with our virtual events and while we are proud of the way we reacted to the restrictions of the pandemic, there is simply nothing like sharing food and imagining how that can play a part on the menu.

“We are grateful to all those companies that are joining us in exhibiting, and we are sure that any customers that are attending will get some great insight, taste some fantastic food and have a brilliant day renewing old acquaintances and making some new ones.”

The events take place on 24 May (Edgbaston) and 7 June (Knutsford). For those unable to attend, a virtual version of the show will run in parallel to the live events at https://www.brake.co.uk/virtual-food-event.

BIDFOOD CALLS UPON THE WIDER INDUSTRY TO FOLLOW SUIT AS IT SETS AMBITIOUS TARGET OF UKRAINE FOOD SUPPORT

Posted on by Billy Moone

As we are now well into the second year since the war first broke out in Ukraine, Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading foodservice providers, has set an ambitious target as it continues to partner with Hope4 and supply valuable food and drink aid for those affected by the ongoing conflict.

Originally uniting when the war first began, food packages were sent to Moldova, which became a place of refuge for many fleeing the conflict. Now on their seventh load of support, Bidfood has donated approximately £400,000 worth of products, and are now not only providing their own stock, but working with and encouraging suppliers, customers and even competitors’ to fund and donate as well.

So far the seven support loads have provided around 73,000 meals for those in need, and Bidfood is determined  to increase this to provide £1,000,000 worth of food equivalence support, working out at around 200,000 meals, in addition to the multi-million meals that Bidfood has donated to UK charities.

This not only supports Bidfood’s ESG goals both internally and externally but also assists in clearing stocks. The work makes a real difference to some of the poorest people in Europe, many of whom have had to flee their homes because of war; and is a cause that Bidfood Senior Leadership Team passionately believe in.

The food dispatched has consisted of mostly ambient products with items such as canned veg, canned and jarred meat, pasta, biscuits and snack products, as well as canned drinks and bottles of drinking water. These donations have been distributed to Ukrainian refugees, those in desperate poverty in Moldova and people remaining in war torn areas of Ukraine who are unable to escape the conflict.

Bidfood’s Supply Chain and Technical Services Director, Jim Gouldie, recently visited parts of Ukraine, which had been recaptured, from Russian occupation to see the impact the support Bidfood and Hope4 is having on those affected. He commented:

“This has to be hands down the most humbling experience for me. To be able to join forces with Hope4 who are doing such incredible work to support the people of Ukraine affected by this ongoing conflict is just amazing to see.

“It was fantastic to see first-hand how we were also having a positive impact, offering support at such a difficult time, but it’s crucial that this support continues and doesn’t dwindle as unfortunately the humanitarian needs are rarely shown on our TV screens any more.

“Now I’m home, it’s more important than ever for me to raise awareness of the situation and share how others can get involved. Our goal as a business is to provide £1,000,000 of food and drink support, but how powerful could our level of support be if the wider industry were able to play a part too.”

Bidfood and Hope4 have also worked together to support those affected by the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, supplying similar food packages as well as sleeping bags, blankets and old freezer suits to keep those without a home warm at night.

Speaking about the partnership, Chris Lomas, CEO of Hope4 said: “At a time of desperate need to support starving families and Ukrainian refugees fleeing the devastation in their homeland, Bidfood has stood up to the challenge of supporting those who have nothing and have continued to do so, even when this devastation is no longer making daily news.

“We at Hope4 are humbled by the incredible support we get from Bidfood; but sadly we recognise these challenges are getting worse not better. We invite all from across the industry whether you are a manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer or foodservice operators to join with Bidfood, and us all to help support one of the largest humanitarian crises Europe has ever seen”.

Follow the link below to listen to Jim Gouldie talk through his work with Hope4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXEccMfcjzI

If you have any questions on what you can do to support Hope4, or would like to partner with us for sending food out to Moldova and Ukraine, please feel free to contact Jim directly: jimgouldie@bidfood.co.uk

BORDER TARGET OPERATING MODEL – SECTORIAL EXPLAINERS

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Over the last few weeks, the government have been running a series of webinars to explain how the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) will work and to seek feedback from stakeholder groups.

In the absence of any webinar recordings, please find below links to where you can access screenshots of slides presented for the following:

2 May – Dairy

3 May – Fish, Fishery products and seafood

3 May – Plants /Fresh produce

4 May – Composite products

4 May – Meat and Poultry

10 May – Trusted Trader workshop – animal focused

We would also like to remind members that the consultation period for the draft Border Target Operating Model will close on 19 May, at the end of the engagement period.

If you wish to contribute feedback, you can access the survey here.

THE NEWLY OWNED ENGINEERED TECHNOLOGY BALLDOTS LINE

Posted on by Ash Hirani

Europastry is revolutionizing the industry with Cutting-Edge Automation and its own engineered technology.

Europastry Central Europe is an international frozen bakery company with multiple products plants, including one in Oldenzaal. Europastry Central Europe aspires to be innovative and being at the forefront of the market, they have a new innovative addition to their bakery, the owned engineered BallDots line. This line is fully automated and offers production of both filled and unfilled BallDots, which guarantees the finest quality in every BallDot produced. Catering to the needs of Retail, Foodservice and other industries.

The BallDots Line is set apart from other production lines on the market because the process is completely automated, with no need for manual labor. This ensures increased efficiency, precision, and consistency in the manufacturing of each BallDot.This line does not require workers to manually handle and finish products, in turn allowing Europastry to reinvest resources efficiently. It is becoming a perfect addition to the company’s ambitions in economic sustainability. The BallDots are now made from round balls which rise; preventing excessive wastage.

In case you were wondering what BallDots were. They are our signature doughnuts without the hole! Giving a bigger moment of indulgence with twice as much flavour. These can be served as a tasty snack or to finish your meal. Prepare for an explosion of flavours and textures that will surprise and delight your taste buds. There are multiple possibilities for coatings and fillings. With the BallDots Line, Europastry aims to provide their customers with unparalleled quality, convenience and versatility.

For more information about the BallDots, the new line and Europastry’s range of products, please visit: www.europastry.com.

GOOGLE & NCSC WEBINAR FOR SMALL ORGANISATIONS

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) & Google will be running a webinar on Wednesday 24th May 10am-11:15am GMT covering the latest resources and training materials for small organisations.

What can you expect from the webinar?
NCSC and Google representatives will explore how to improve your online business security as cyber-related threats continue to rise. To aid in the fight against these oftentimes costly and invasive attacks on digital data and essential electronic infrastructure, this training will help you to identify threats, risks, and vulnerabilities.

The session covers the following topics:

  • Understanding cybersecurity and possible threats
  • Equipping you with strategies to train employees in cybersecurity.
  • Showing you how to secure devices and systems.
  • Enabling you to create a secure customer experience.

Good to know:

  •  This session is run using MS Teams and is 45-60 minutes long.
  • The course assumes no prior knowledge or experience so there is no pre-reading necessary.
  • There will be the opportunity to ask questions during the session.

Click here to register

SERVE UP THE ULTIMATE MEAT-FREE TREAT FOR NATIONAL VEGETARIAN WEEK

Posted on by Lewis Wantling

This week marks the 31st anniversary of the increasingly popular National Vegetarian Week, with meat-free diets becoming the key focus of the UK food service agenda.

Increasing in popularity for meat-eaters looking for a more balanced diet, the National Vegetarian Week aims to show to communities and schools across the UK that meat-free alternatives can be a vibrant and exciting eating experience.

With this in mind, we’re here to help food businesses make the perfect Meat Free Monday or Chicken’less Tuesday with our award-winning Original Vegan Chick’n Strips – we promise, you won’t find a tastier meat-free chicken strip on the market.

A chicken alternative like no other!

Vegan strips.jpg

Meadow Vale Foods’ Original Vegan Chick’n Strips have gone from strength to strength in 2022, giving caterers a seriously tasty, highly versatile meat-free option that can be used in multiple menu applications, from a crunchy hot dog to a tasty taco or refreshing salad!

The strips offer a high-quality meat-free alternative that imitates the taste, texture and appeal of our highly popular hand cut, hand coated Homestyle Breaded Chicken Strips. We took everything that makes Meadow Vale chicken so delicious… and recreated it using flattened pea protein.

The quality is all in the strip… simply heat and serve! The caterer can save time, waste and money as the strips offer quick cook times in a variety of methods, straight from the freezer. What’s more, the product performs great when hot held, as the coating stays crunchy for longer and the core stays succulent for up to two hours, making it perfect for takeaway and delivery.

High in protein and a great source of iron, pea protein is a great fit for any diet, as it is naturally vegan and hypoallergenic.

Like many of our tender chicken strips, the protein is hand cut and coated in our signature Meadow Vale batter, making it extremely difficult to separate the meat-free from the meat… Trust us, we’ve tried!

Click here to request a sample and try it out to inspire your menu on National Vegetarian Week, or get in touch today for more information on suppliers, pricing and much more.

GOVERNMENT PUBLISHES SCHEDULE OF REUL TO BE REVOKED BY THE END OF 2023

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

As reported in last week’s newsletter, on 10th May government announced that it was tabling an ‘Amendment for Lords Report’ to replace the current sunset clause in the Retained EU Law Bill (REUL) with a list of the retained EU laws which they intend to revoke at the end of 2023.

That list of around 600 pieces of legislation has now been published and can be found here

The list covers each piece of legislation being revoked along with the reason it is being removed.

It includes a significant amount of REUL that is defunct and unnecessary now we have left the EU and removes items of REUL that are burdensome and duplicative. It also includes some REUL which had been designed in a way which was clearly contrary to the needs and requirements of the UK.

The government had already revoked or reformed over 1,000 EU laws since our exit and in addition to this latest list, the Financial Services and Markets Bill and the Procurement Bill will revoke around a further 500 pieces of REUL.

The BFFF will now be reviewing this list but if you have any queries relating to REUL please do not hesitate to contact us.