Tues 18th Nov, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London

WRIGHTS INVESTS £1.3M IN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FLEET

Posted on by franck.houssaye@wrightfsg.com

Food manufacturing specialist Wrights has announced a £1.3m investment in a fleet of environmentally friendly vehicles.

The three-site manufacturer which supplies and distributes sweet and savoury bakery products and ready meals into the hospitality and retail sectors as part of The Compleat Food Group, has invested in eight new vehicles which are fuelled by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) bringing a 95% saving in carbon emissions.

The new fleet includes heavy duty tractor units which tow trailered loads, typically transporting frozen goods to customers across the UK; rigid vehicles and shop vehicles which transport items baked in Crewe to local shops and businesses across the North West.

The Group’s Crewe-based Health, Safety & Environmental Compliance Manager Paul Strangwood said: “We are working hard to get ahead of the government-set target of reducing carbon emissions by 2030. This is a mission which sits alongside our wider Group’s Environmental, Social and Governance targets which include a commitment here in Crewe of making a 50% reduction of our 2021 carbon emission levels by 2030 and a 90% reduction on 2021 carbon emission levels by 2035.

“While the carbon emission reduction of our new vehicles is integral to our investment, there are additional benefits to our new fleet, such as the onboard fridges and freezers which are generator driven from the vehicles’ engines and reduces the environmental impact even further. And with our team’s comfort and safety always a priority, we have taken steps to ensure the new vehicles are fully equipped with additional home comforts including larger bunks, upgraded cabin seats and more cupboard space which support drivers when they need to be away overnight.”

Paul added: “This investment reflects our values and commitment to doing good business from concept to plate and from employees through to our customers. Our plan is to review and replace our current fleet as they are due to be renewed.”

Wrights was established in 1926 by Jack and Lizzie Wright who sold pies to neighbours from their Stoke-on-Trent doorstep. Today the company’s Crewe-based 600 strong workforce manufactures and distributes savoury pastries, sweet bakery and ready meals into retail and foodservice sectors and manages 15 Wrights branded bakery stores across the North West. Its £30million manufacturing facility in Crewe produces more than three million savoury products per week including gastro pub pies and ready meals for the retail and hospitality sector.

David Moore, Compleat Food Group’s Head of Environmental Social and Governance (ESG), added: “Decarbonising our fleet is an important step on our journey to Net Zero. Moving from diesel to CNG from is a crucial step for us and to having made this investment we are showing our commitment to achieving our Net Zero targets.”

SCOTLAND DELAYS DRS START DATE TO 2024

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

First minister Humza Yousaf has announced that Scotland’s deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers has been delayed to 1st March 2024. It was originally due to start on 16th August, but following concerns over the launch date he took the decision to delay giving, as he explained to Scottish Parliament, 7 extra months for the smaller firms to prepare.

He told MSPs: “I’m committed to the scheme to increase recycling and help achieve our net zero goals but recognise the uncertainty created by the UK Government delaying a decision on the Internal Market Act”.

Scotland has been preparing a DRS for several years and had originally intended to launch by 2021. The scheme would charge a 20p deposit on all drink’s containers. This would be refunded when the empty container was deposited for recycling or reuse through an official channel, such as in-store or to a dedicated reverse vending machine.

Scotland’s scheme is classed as ‘all-in’ scheme rather than ‘on-the-go’ which means a much wider range of packaging falls into scope. Whereas in the UK is pushing for a scheme which in less encompassing and even excludes glass.

COMMUNITY SHOP HELPS IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES THANKS TO INCREASED INDUSTRY SUPPORT

Posted on by lee.wood@companyshop.co.uk

Award-winning social enterprise, Community Shop, has today revealed its latest impact report figures, which show the social supermarket is supporting more families than ever before.

The annual impact report was launched at the opening of its 11th Community Shop, which opened in Bewsey, Warrington.

Thanks to the generous support of retailers, brands and manufacturers across the industry, who have significantly increased their stock donations by 46%, Community Shop supported over 28,000 households in 2022, generating the equivalent of 6.7m meals for its members.

Community Shop offers a powerful combination of access to deeply discounted food and household products, and life-changing learning and development programmes. The stores are open to people who live locally and receive welfare support, and who are motivated to make a positive difference to their lives.

Integral to every Community Shop is its Community Kitchen, where members come together and enjoy high-quality meals at low-costs prices, as well as taking part in a range of activities like cook clubs, which provide education and inspiration to help families put food at the heart of their home. With over 20,000 people attending cook clubs in 2022, 92% of members said that Community Shop had improved their quality of life while 82% report feeling healthier in themselves since joining.

The stores also provide personal development support, with 26,600 people engaging in programmes over the past year and 92% of members reporting that their quality of life had improved. In total, 1,968 members have moved into work or higher education since joining Community Shop.

During the cost-of-living crisis, the support Community Shop offers its members is more vital than ever and the social enterprise is committed to continuing to expand its network. Today’s store opening in Bewsey takes the total to 11 Community Shops, with another new store set to open this summer.

None of what Community Shop has achieved would have been possible without the industry’s backing, and the organisation is calling on more businesses to recognise the value that surplus stock can create for people and communities.

Gary Stott, Executive Chair for Community Shop, said: “The figures in this year’s impact report demonstrate the enormous positive impact that can be created by unlocking the value from surplus stock.

“Through our Community Shops we build stronger individuals and more confident communities, and, thanks to the support of our partners, we are able to help some of the most deprived communities in the UK.

“I would like to thank all of our partners who share our ambition, to help those who need it most, when it matters most, and the opening our latest store today demonstrates their continued commitment to creating even more positive impact, in even more communities.”

Owen McLellan, Managing Director at Company Shop Group commented: “Redistributing surplus stock makes such a difference to families who rely on it being available to help their stretched budgets go further. We are continuing to see the demand for Community Shop grow and I’d encourage everyone to think differently about waste and look at how we can unlock even more surplus to create even greater value for people and communities.”

ARE YOU CYBER AWARE? – ACT NOW – BE PREPARED!

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Sadly, the BFFF are hearing of more and more businesses who are falling victim to cyber-crime.

Official statistics show more than a third of small businesses suffered a cyber-attack last year and in February 2023 alone, there were 189 cyber-crime reports from organisations, of which 79.8% were from SME’s.

To combat this, the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) cyber security experts have launched two new flagship services designed to help millions of UK small businesses stay secure online and protect their livelihoods.

We would strongly urge members to make use of the Cyber Action Plan as well as the Check Your Cyber Security tools.

The Cyber Action Plan can be completed online in under 5 minutes and results in tailored advice for businesses on how they can improve their cyber security.

Check your Cyber Security, which is accessible via the Action Plan, can be used by any small organisation, and enables non-technical users to identify and fix cyber security issues within their businesses.

The NCSC has also refreshed their Board Toolkit resource, designed to help business leaders get to grip with the cyber security risks facing their organisation.

With nearly all businesses relying on data and technology, the toolkit emphasises how board members should treat cyber risks with the same prominence as financial or legal risks, as cyber-attacks can have severe impacts on an organisation’s ability to operate.

Whatever the size of your organisation, please do take the time to review all the resources and tools available to you on the NCSC website . We hope it never happens to you, but if you are well prepared, you will be glad you did.

CRISTALLINO – A NEW RANGE OF BREAD THAT AIMS A NEW STYLE TO YOUR RECIPE.

Posted on by Ash Hirani

Introducing Europastry Cristallino Bread. A bread that takes your culinary experience to the next level. Made with 100% natural ingredients and sourdough, our demanding high hydration process results in a bread with a thin, crispy crust and light, airy crumbs. But that’s not all, our bread comes in various shapes and nuances that are perfect for enhancing the most exquisite recipes.

Whether it’s our round or square bread, or the Kornspitz, Beer, or Bio varieties, Europastry Cristallino Bread is the perfect choice for those who want to elevate their dishes to the next level. The honeycombed interior of our bread is perfect for soaking up sauces and juices, making it the ideal complement to burgers, sandwiches, and other culinary creations. The bread is also great to combine with soups and salads because of their airy, light, soft and versatile textures.

If you think it can’t get any better, you’re wrong. In fact, Cristallino bread is also super easy to prepare. For any, the key to success is serving your bread perfectly and with this bread, it couldn’t be easier. Just toast or grill for 4-5 minutes and it’s ready!

Don’t settle for ordinary bread when you can indulge in the extraordinary Europastry Cristallino Bread. Made with care and passion. It’s sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who tries it. So, why wait? Elevate your dishes today with Europastry Cristallino Bread!

Want to know more about the possibilities and range?

Contact the sales agent of Europastry in England: Ash Hirani (ahirani@europastry.com)

Or take a look at the range on the website: https://europastry.com/global/en/

AVIAN INFLUENZA HOUSING MEASURES TO BE LIFTED IN ENGLAND AND WALES FROM APRIL 18TH

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have announced that they are planning to lift the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone housing measures for poultry and captive birds in England and Wales from 00:01 on Tuesday 18 April 2023. However, the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone mandatory biosecurity measures will remain in place for all birds.

Their advice is that if you intend to allow your birds outside after 18th April you must act now to prepare the outside areas. Further information is available on GOV.UK & GOV.WALES. Keepers with any welfare concerns about their birds should speak to their vet.

The latest Avian Influenza information for Scotland is also available on GOV.SCOT.

Note: If you fall within a Protection Zone or Captive Bird (Monitoring) Controlled Zone you are still required to house your birds, as infection may still be circulating in the environment for several more weeks. You can use the interactive map to check if you are in a zone.

The decision means that from 18th April, eggs laid by hens with access to outside range areas can return to being marketed as ‘Free-Range’ eggs.

RETAINED EU LAW BILL MAY BE PAUSED

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Members will have seen reports in the media that the government has paused the progress of the Retained EU Law Bill (REUL) to report stage, over the Easter period in a bid to avoid cross party rows in the House of Lords in the run-up to the local elections, taking place on 4th May.

Furthermore, it has been speculated that ministers are now considering moving to a scaled down, less hurried version which may not move to report stages for months. Other ideas such as extending the date of the sunset clause beyond the end of the year are also muted to be under consideration.

The Bill would have removed more than 4,000 pieces of EU legislation from the UK statute book. Any legislation not converted into UK law by the end of 2023 would consequently, drop off the statute book.

Whilst we haven’t received any formal announcement, we will ensure members are kept up to date with the very latest developments on the REUL Bill. Hopefully, if it has been paused, industry will be allowed the time to effectively engage with government and input into any consultations as to which laws should be retained, reformed, or made redundant.

Please ensure you check our website and weekly newsletters for regular updates.

DRAFT BORDER TARGET OPERATING MODEL PUBLISHED

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

The long awaited draft border Target Operating Model (TOM) has now been published and a copy is available to view online here. The BFFF would encourage members to view the draft TOM and provide any feedback via the online feedback tool which can be accessed here. If you are also able to share a copy of your feedback with us, that would be greatly appreciated and will ensure we represent our members effectively during our engagement with Government. Please send to deniserion@bfff.co.uk

The model sets out the Government’s plan to realise the ambition of the 2025 Border Strategy to create the most effective border in the world.

The proposals in the Target Operating Model apply to imports of live animals, germinal products, animal products, plants and plant products from all countries into Great Britain and will see the implementation of new security and biosecurity controls on imports from the EU. These controls will ensure our environment is protected, deliver food that is safe to eat whilst maintaining security of supply for consumers.

The model will be implemented through three major milestones, the first of which importers and their supply-chains should begin to prepare for now:

  • 31 October 2023 – The introduction of health certification on imports of medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high-risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin from the EU.
  • 31 January 2024 – The introduction of documentary and risk-based identity and physical checks on medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high-risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin from the EU. At this point imports of Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods from the rest of the world will begin to benefit from the new risk-based model.
  • 31 October 2024 – Safety and Security declarations for EU imports will come into force from 31 October 2024. Alongside this, we will introduce a reduced dataset for imports and use of the UK Single Trade Window will remove duplication where possible across different pre-arrival datasets.

Defra are now entering a six-week period of engagement with industry and want to hear your views on the initial proposals. They plan to run a programme of engagement with stakeholder groups from all the nations of the UK and with international partners. These will bring stakeholders and policy teams from government together to discuss and test the proposals set out in the TOM. There will be sector specific workshops and international engagement events, as well as wider stakeholder groups and bespoke sessions.  You may view a list of TOM workshops via this Eventbrite page.