Defra have advised that due to the ongoing situation with Avian Influenza, as of 1^st February, eggs originating from free range flocks in Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex will need to be labelled as barn eggs.

This will apply to the rest of England from the 27th February and is in line with Egg Marketing Standards Regulations.

This action marks the end of the 16-week grace period given after the introduction of a regional (12th October 2022) and subsequent national mandatory housing order (7^th November 2022).

In recognition of current elevated input costs facing the industry along with the impacts of AI, Defra have said that they will allow the same packaging concessions that were granted last year. This means where other options are not feasible, such as over-stickering or marketing eggs in “barn reared” egg boxes, industry will be allowed the use of direct print to pack or an affixed label on free-range boxes to communicate to consumers that the eggs have come from hens that are now barn reared.

The labelling will remain in place until the housing order is lifted.

You will find more detail here

Analysis of crime reports by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has revealed that the hospitality sector is increasingly being targeted by criminals impersonating IT providers.

Typically, fraudsters call restaurants and hotels purporting to be a representative of the company that provides their reservation or booking system. They then attempt to convince the employee to reveal their login details, under the guise that it is required in order to complete an important software installation.

Once the attacker gains access to the business’ computer systems they’ll often steal customer data which can then be used to perpetrate targeted phishing scams.

Even if you do not operate in the hospitality sector, it is important you take necessary steps to protect your business:

• Ensure that business accounts are protected using 2-step verification (2SV)
• Make sure your employees know what information a supplier will and won’t ask for, eg a supplier will never ask for passwords. Encourage your employees to speak to a supervisor or colleague if they’ve received a request they are unsure about.
• If you are a business, charity or other organisation suffering a live cyber attack (in progress), please call 0300 123 2040 immediately. This service is available 24/7
• For advice on how to improve your business’ cyber security, please see the National Cyber Security Centre’s Small Business Guide

Nutriment has revolutionised the raw pet food industry, and Dawsongroup has helped them by increasing their operational capacity – both in record time. In just nine years, Nutriment has already become recognised for the quality of its food, its focus on pet wellbeing and its wider values, winning awards for its innovation in healthy pet food and fast business growth.

Operating across two sites, Nutriment produces between 18 and 25 tonnes of frozen raw pet food per day. The majority of their products are nutritionally balanced complete foods, so pet owners don’t need to add anything to make sure their dog or cat is getting all the    nutrients they need.

Facing Challenges

The challenges of Nutriment’s success meant they needed to scale up their operation quickly, and to meet this challenge, Nutriment consulted with Dawsongroup TCS.

With their rapid expansion, Nutriment bolted on freezer capacity every year, which meant they had evolved in an inefficient manner and had a restricted provision for further growth in the future. Dawsongroup provided a new approach utilising our innovative solution service which focuses on environment control, process flow, and maximising available space, as well as options to flex and scale your operation without large capital demands. By focusing on the bigger picture, we established the most efficient solution for Nutriment’s business application which would allow for their future growth.

Dawsongroup TCS looked at Nutriment’s warehouse as a clean space by dismantling all the existing freezers. This new approach provided a frozen solution which facilitated larger onsite storage of pallets of finished products, improved the flow of picking customers’ orders which packing teams could then pack more efficiently, and improved conditions for employees.

Martin Heal, Director for Nutriment, said, “We were very pleased to have a good working relationship with the pre-project team, the onsite team and the installation team. The solution from DGTCS worked, and we are a better business because of it.”

Innovative and Quick

Through our Smarter Asset Strategy, Nutriment’s operational capacity was more than doubled. Efficiencies were increased, energy costs were reduced, and a smarter, more efficient workplace was created, all in less than nine weeks and without compromising product integrity. This gave Nutriment the ability to continue its award-winning growth and keep delivering a healthy diet to more cats and dogs into the future. As an ambitious company, the ability to continue growing is crucial to Nutriment’s operation and Dawsongroup has provided exactly that. Opportunities are limitless by utilising a Smarter Asset Strategy which offers a more flexible approach to futureproof operations, whilst minimising risk and protecting capital. This means that Nutriment is free to focus on winning contracts as the solution continues to develop with them.

Martin said, “Dawsongroup improved conditions for our employees. By better utilising the space, it allows pickers to work more efficiently and improve flow, reducing the movements in the building and doubling the amount picked per day.”

Previously restocking of smaller freezers required pickers and packers to cease working whilst forklifts operated in their area; however, with the new layout, workers have an expanded, segregated space resulting in a happier and more efficient environment. By incorporating our Smarter Asset Strategy, Nutriment was able to scale up operations rapidly without large capital demands and create a better working environment for all employees.

Growing Together

Martin also highlighted that, “One of the best things is Dawsongroup being able to grow with us.”

Growth is key at Dawsongroup and through our Smarter Asset Strategy we offer support in expanding asset provision as well as service and advice from experts within the field, which makes for a more efficient way of working at a reliable and high standard. Nutriment knows from experience we provide quick solutions with minimum disruption to operations.

The staff at Nutriment felt they were a better business with Dawsongroup’s solutions. They emphasised the most exciting part was seeing the project progress and were pleased to have a good working relationship with the installation team the whole way through the journey. Dawsongroup continues to grow their working relationship as Nutriment plans to double in the next few years and triple in the next five. With the support of our Smarter Asset Strategy, we not only provide the solution from start to finish but also the expertise, trust and understanding to futureproof business operations.

Visit Nutriment for all your pet food needs. What would doubled production and storage capacity do for your business? Contact Dawsongroup TCS today to move your business forward with our Smarter Asset Strategy.

Watch the video below to see Dawsongroup’s solutions for Nutriment.

Recognised up and down the country for their iconic food-inspired landscapes, Bidfood welcomed four new additions to its fleet, to celebrate over a decade since the original designs first hit the roads.

As a nod to the company’s strapline, inspired by you, a competition was launched between employees to create a design to inspire the next Bidfood landscapes and win a £500 voucher to spend at a number of high street stores.

After receiving nearly 100 entries, a panel of experts from across the business with knowledge in graphic design, food and transport came together to pick the four winning entries to be used as inspiration for the new landscapes.

The four designs, an underwater scape, tropical paradise, sunrise over a farm and winter castle scene were sent to Magenta Photographic Studios in Newcastle. For three weeks, professional food artists worked to physically build the four designs using products and ingredients ordered via Bidfood Direct.

Commenting on the designs, Bidfood’s Studio and Production Manager, Danny Gould said: “This has been a fantastic campaign to work on and I was taken aback by the creativity and artistic skill within our business!

“We took the selection process very seriously as we wanted to ensure that when people see the new landscapes, they recognise them as part of the Bidfood family.

“An important element of judging the entries was seeing how they would work as a 3D food-inspired landscape. We then used the four winning entries as inspiration when we got to the design and build phase.”

Catherine Hinchcliff, Head of Corporate Marketing added: “Our underwater, farm, waterfall and castle landscapes are not just captivating to look at, but showcase our diverse range of ingredients and products we provide to our customers. From fresh fruit and veg, to meat and poultry, fish, dried goods and even sweet treats. We hope they will become just as iconic and as popular as our first food landscapes with caterers, our employees and even the wider public, as they deliver to more than 40, 000 customers across the UK.”

Who are the winners?

• · Alan Gaunt, Business Manager, and his wife Jane.
• · Maggie-may Bull, aged 8, daughter of Ashley Bull, Telesales and Customer Services Manager
• · Denise Cavey, Telesales Executive
• · Ben Fisher, Employee and Engagement Manager, and his wife Liz