Become a member

THAT’S SECOND TO NAAN – ICELAND CELEBRATES NATIONAL CURRY WEEK WITH LAUNCH OF NEW CURRY DISHES

To celebrate the 24th National Curry Week, which is taking place from the 3rd – 9th October, a huge range of new curry dishes have hit Iceland’s shelves. This includes a Luxury selection as well as a number of unmissable Slimming World dishes, which are ‘second to naan’.

For those who tend to opt for milder curries, options such as Iceland Luxury Butter Chicken Curry with its delightfully creamy sauce, Iceland Luxury Red Thai Style King Prawn Curry which is fresh and full of flavour, and aromatic Iceland Luxury Chicken Katsu Curry and Rice are a must-try.

Want a bit more of a kick? There are plenty of slightly hotter dishes to choose from too, including Iceland Luxury King Prawn Tikka Masala, Iceland Luxury Spicy Chicken Balti and Iceland Luxury Chicken Tikka Saag.

And, as the ultimate showstopper to rival any curry restaurant specials, Iceland Luxury House Special Curry features a glorious mix of chicken strips, char siu pork and king prawns in a spicy curry sauce. One shopper who was keen to test out the dish as soon as it became available, said: “This curry is well worth a try – really nice King Prawns in it and the sauce was lovely”, while another added: “I’m very impressed, it was delicious, not too spicy and cheaper than a takeaway – will definitely be buying again.”

If you’re looking to enjoy National Curry Week, while still keeping to a healthy and balanced diet, Iceland’s exclusive range of Slimming World dishes includes five exciting new launches.

These are Slimming World King Prawn Bhuna, Slimming World Rogan Josh Sauce, Slimming World Rogan Squash, which is perfect for vegans and vegetarians, Slimming World Aloo Gobi with soft potatoes, cauliflower and red pepper and Slimming World Lamb Kashmiri with melt-in-the-mouth lamb in a rich sauce. The Lamb Kashmiri can only be found at The Food Warehouse stores though, so shoppers need to be quick.

If shoppers are looking for something a little different, they can also pick up the Slimming World Chicken Tikka Lasagne – yes, you heard that right.

But the new launches don’t stop there, with the supermarket also releasing a series of packs that make for the perfect sharing starter, including Iceland Chicken Tikka Kievs (£1.85, 2pk), Iceland Sweet Chilli Chicken Strips (£3.50, 500g), Iceland Satay Chicken Skewers (£3.50, 4pk) and Iceland Tandoori Chicken Chunks (£3.50, 450g).

And that’s not all. From September 28th, shoppers who buy three items from the below list of Patak’s cooking sauces, mango chutney, mini naans and Ben’s Original Rice will get a free pack of Patak’s Plain Pappadums (6pk) worth £1.50:

  • Patak’s Tikka Masala Cooking Sauce (£1.50, 450g)
  • Patak’s Korma Cooking Sauce (£1.50, 450g)
  • Patak’s Butter Chicken Cooking Sauce (£1.50, 450g)
  • Patak’s Jalfrezi Cooking Sauce (£1.50, 450g)
  • Patak’s Madras Cooking Sauce (£1.50, 450g)
  • Patak’s Mango Chutney (£1.50, 210g)
  • Patak’s Plain Mini Naans (£1.50, 4pk)
  • Patak’s Garlic & Coriander Mini Naans (£1.50, 4pk)
  • Patak’s Plain Pappadums (£1.50, 6pk)
  • Ben’s Original Classic Basmati Rice (£1.00, 250g)
  • Ben’s Original Classic Pilau Rice (£1.00, 250g)

Commenting on the new launches, Trading Director at Iceland Andrew Staniland said: “It’s no secret that we’re a nation of curry lovers, with many of us choosing it as our favourite takeaway option.

“But we hope that these new dishes – with their fantastic quality, great value and convenience – will help even more people to come together and celebrate National Curry Week this year.” 

Iceland’s full range of curry dishes, including its new luxury range and its Slimming World range, can be viewed on its website: https://www.iceland.co.uk/.

AN EXPLORATION OF TRENDS – BIDFOOD REVEALS THE FOOD AND DRINK TRENDS SET TO TAKE OFF IN 2023

After another difficult year involving inflation, conflict overseas and plenty of new legislation, Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading foodservice providers has released the latest food and drink trends set to shape and inspire the industry for 2023.

Despite a tough few years, Bidfood’s latest research has shown that consumer demand for eating out remains strong. In fact, 7 in 10 say eating and drinking out is the treat they most look forward to.[1] To help support operators navigating the changes in consumer habits, and staying ahead of the curve, Bidfood has released its 2023 trends report along with a raft of support tools including the latest instalment of our trends video series, new and delicious recipe ideas, as well as new podcast episodes.

A discovery of food and drink trends for 2023

Retro love: Fancy a trip down memory lane? The Retro Love trend is all about revamping childhood memories and conjuring a sense of nostalgia, particularly through desserts, cakes and cocktails. It’s a great opportunity to bring novelty and comfort to menus. Take your consumers on a journey back in time with some innovative takes on nostalgic dishes!

Flavours less travelled: As travel restrictions become a thing of the past, emerging world cuisines are still leading the way, with a rise in demand for more unusual dishes.  Over 1 in 3 people say emerging cuisines have replaced the more established ones in their regular meal choices. As well as this, research has shown that the four leading cuisines Bidfood identified this year do not have a strong presence on menus, so now is the best time for operators to adopt them and take consumer’s taste buds on a new and exciting journey:

  • Cuban – Taking inspiration from Spain and the Caribbean, Cuban cuisine has real potential to take flight, with 46% saying they would like to try the island’s delicacies.
  • Sri Lankan – An explosion of flavour, Sri Lanka’s key ingredients include, turmeric, garlic, cinnamon and coconut, but the spice levels can easily be adjusted to favour the consumer’s palate.
  • Pan-African – Cuisines from this vast continent produce a myriad of flavours. Made up of comforting stews, soups and rice based dishes, it’s a very adaptable and accessible trend that shouldn’t be forgotten!
  • Unusual fusions – More restaurants are combing flavours and formats that normally wouldn’t be paired together especially as 40% of people want to try these unusual fusions. Be experimental and discover a whole world of perfectly paired cuisines, flavour profiles and formats to set your outlet apart from the competition.

Conscious choices: This trend centres on the fact that consumers are becoming more mindful of where they eat and drink out and what they order. Whilst this isn’t new for 2023, the cost of living crisis, as well as the pandemic, have been contributing factors to how consumers think about food and drink.

Pizza evolution: Because of the format and versatility of pizza, it lends itself well to creative and accessible innovation. Gluten-free bases, plant-based and premium toppings make it sit perfectly within different sectors, times of the day and occasions.

In the spirit: The alcoholic drinks trend for 2023, including the top spirits of the year and styles operators are beginning to adopt.

Nature’s gifts: This trend focuses on the role of plants within a dish and the ways chefs are incorporating the fruits, herbs and spices they have found themselves in the wild.

Catherine Hinchcliff, Head of Corporate Marketing and Insights at Bidfood said:

“We’re thrilled to see how the food and drink trends landing in 2023 are embracing sustainability, flavour experimentation and a journey through time, which in turn will allow the chefs to have fun while building their menus. Eating out has become a highly valued luxury for many, so it will be important for chefs to consider how they can evolve their dishes and adhere to the more mindful choices consumers are making now.

“We worked with CGA again this year, by carrying out exclusive research and conducting food influencer interviews. We also visited and interviewed restaurant operators in different cities to deliver the useful tools and resources that our customers can implement in their 2023 menu planning no matter where they’re based in the UK.”

For full details and insights on the trends, please read our 2023 Food and Drink Trends guide here: https://bidfood.pagetiger.com/bidfood-trends-2023

[1] CGA by Nielsen IQ, Cost of Living Consumer Pulse, August 2022

UNICARRIERS COMES TOP FOR MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

UniCarriers has won the Materials Handling Equipment Provider of the Year Award at the recent TCS&D Awards 2022. 

Held at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, the TCS&D Awards recognises individuals and companies achievements within the Cold Chain sector, where over 400 industry colleagues were in attendance.

“We are delighted to win the TCS&D MHE Provider of the Year Award,” says UniCarriers UK National Sales Manager, Mark Wakeman. “At UniCarriers we are committed to delivering high-quality, state-of-the-art equipment, whilst providing a range of modifications to optimise truck performance in frozen & chilled stores, meaning our customers can focus on the job, instead of concerns about equipment and staff’.

As the UK’s active and growing forklift provider for frozen and chilled operations, UniCarriers offer a full range of forklift trucks optimized for use in temperature-controlled areas.  The state-of-the-art heated cold store cabins, high capacity batteries, quality steel, and leading ergonomic design, combine for optimum performance.  Of course, the truck is not the only TCS&D star – UniCarriers solutions and levels of service not only meets, but also exceeds customer expectations.  Frozen & chilled stores are an essential part of the modern logistics chain – but they are also expensive to run, and challenging to operate.  UniCarriers work closely with their customers to find the right equipment to improve the efficiency of their operations and remain alongside them every step of the way. It’s not just business, it’s about building relationships. This TCS&D Award is a fantastic acknowledgement of the work carried out every day by UniCarriers expert sales, and service teams.

“UniCarriers focus will always be on providing the best frozen and chilled solution for each and every customer,” says Mark Wakeman. “Whichever contract or short-term hire option our customers choose, they find that what really sets UniCarriers apart is our dedication to providing excellent bespoke equipment, solutions, and service throughout the relationship.”

For more information, visit: https://www.unicarrierseurope.com/uk

MARSHALL FLEET SOLUTIONS APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF FLEET AND SUPPLIER MANAGEMENT

Leading commercial vehicle company Marshall Fleet Solutions has announced that, with immediate effect, Simon Nash has joined the business as its new Head of Fleet and Supplier Management.

Reporting to Mark Sutcliffe, Operations Director, Simon will be an integral part of the Operations Senior Leadership Team with a particular focus on developing Marshall Fleet Solutions’ supplier network to support its ambitious growth plans within the fleet management division of the business.

Simon brings with him a wealth of knowledgeable and experience in both mechanical engineering and fleet management within the retail distribution sector, having previously worked for several of the UK’s largest supermarket chains.

His most recent role was as National Fleet Engineering Manager for Sainsbury’s, where he worked for more than seven years and was responsible for fleet specification and replacement, ensuring the operational fleet was safe, legally compliant, maintained, available, and managed within budgets through to disposal.

Simon has also worked for Tesco PLC for over 12 years in the roles of Transport Team Manager, LGV Manager, and eventually Regional Engineer.

Speaking on his new role with Marshall Fleet Solutions, Simon said: “I am thrilled to be joining Marshall Fleet Solutions at such an exciting time for the business, and I am looking forward to working with all the team to drive further growth in its supplier network.”

Announcing details of Simon’s appointment, Mark Sutcliffe, Operations Director at Marshall Fleet Solutions, said: “I am delighted that we have attracted Simon to Marshall Fleet Solutions and I am confident that his vast experience and knowledge in fleet management within the retail distribution sector will help contribute to our continued levels of excellence in customer service and growth.”

BRAKES LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN

Brakes has launched a new support package to help operators across all sectors maximise Christmas trading and manage costs.

Headlining the campaign is a 10% cashback offer which is available until 31st December 2022 across key categories including meat and poultry, Christmas tableware, wine and Champagne as well as various cashback offers on favourite brand products.

The company has also announced the launch of some great new Christmas products, from decadent desserts like Chantilly Individual Belgian Chocolate and Caramel Pyramid to sensational starters like our Scottish Smoked Salmon & Prosecco Parfait.

The new products join a mix of traditional Christmas favourites, on-trend twists and plant-based alternatives giving operators a comprehensive range to ensure that they have the perfect Christmas menu solution for every customer taste.

Supporting the new products are a range of insight-based, interactive menu suggestions to help chefs create perfect menus, including step-by-step recipe cards with allergen information, all of which have vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

Paul Nieduszynski, Chief Commercial Officer for Sysco GB, said: “We have almost 1,000 products in our Christmas range with some fantastic new products that will enhance any service.  We recognise that this year, our Christmas offer needs to be about more than just range. That’s why we’ve introduced a fantastic online cashback offer, providing some much-needed support.”

The Christmas cashback offer will be supplemented by other promotions, including the return of Brakes’ popular ‘free case of vodka’ promotion on centre of plate products.

FSA UPDATES AREAS OF RESEARCH INTEREST

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has updated its areas of research interest (ARI) to include a focus on food that is healthier and more sustainable.

ARI are a way for government departments to express interest in seeing more research evidence in certain topics. In communicating some of the key areas where they would welcome more research, it aims to help inform UK research and innovation strategy and to suggest avenues of investigation to the wider research community.

The FSA have added four new ARI that reflect the updated priorities in their 2022-2027 strategy: that food is safe; is what it says it is; and is healthier and more sustainable.

More information about ARI is available on the FSA’s website.

Member Benefits

Exclusive Partnership deals on key products and services:

  • BFFF energy deals and rates
  • Vypr member deals and introduction
  • Defib Plus deals
  • Company Shop – membership
  • Mentor – MHE training health check

Exclusive access to networking opportunities and events:

  • Meet the Buyer events (retail & foodservice)
  • Annual Business Conference with networking dinner
  • Specialist H&S and Technical Conferences
  • Special interest groups (packaging, frozen food temperatures)
  • Annual Lunch
  • Awards Night
Upcoming Events More Events
Sponsorship Packages

We offer a range of sponsorship opportunities to BFFF members across our events throughout the year, with flexible packages that can be tailored to suit your business objectives.

Contact Us
British Frozen Food Federation Members Logo
what our members say...
  • Wakefield Council

    “What an amazing piece of work and indicative of how BFFF respond to the concerns of their members and make an impact on the whole industry sector.”

    See Full Quote

  • Sysco

    “You guys really ‘Do The Right Thing’ for the good of the industry”

    See Full Quote

  • Darta

    “The BFFF awards night is becoming an “appointment not to miss” on our calendar and we again enjoyed it immensely together with lots of well-known people from our industry. The…

    See Full Quote

  • Kantar Worldpanel

    “The Business Conference was an excellent day that was very well organised and allowed so many likeminded individuals in the room to learn so much more around the Frozen industry….

    See Full Quote

  • Lakeside Food Group Ltd

    “This Not For EU labelling situation alarmed us and quickly became a major worry to our business. These are times when you really rely on some support and from previous…

    See Full Quote

  • Meadow Vale Foods Limited

    “We had a few questions with respect to the new EPR waste packaging legislative changes. I know some of my colleagues have been assisted by BFFF in the past so…

    See Full Quote

  • Newberry International Produce Ltd

    “I am writing to express my heartfelt gratitude for the outstanding event you organised. I have only worked in this sector for the past nineteen months coming from twenty-five years…

    See Full Quote

  • Place UK Ltd

    “The BFFF 2024 Conference was compelling and thought provoking, with a many relevant and interesting topics covered at great pace and some depth by excellent speakers – will certainly attend…

    See Full Quote

  • Roswel Spedition GMBH

    “Thank you and the team for rushing around so brilliantly before, during and after the conference. It was pleasure to be part of the conference.”

    See Full Quote

  • Seara

    “The event was great, in my opinion. Not only it was very well organised, but the venue and the catering were excellent too. Furthermore, the content of the presentations was…

    See Full Quote

Website Designed & Built by we are CODA