Freezing performance directly impacts yield, operating cost and compliance. This article outlines three requirements to consider when investing in modern IQF equipment.

Freezing is often seen as one of the final steps in production. In reality, it is one of the most decisive. No matter how carefully raw materials are selected, product quality and saleable yield can deteriorate significantly if the freezing process is inconsistent. For UK frozen food producers navigating rising costs and tighter specifications, understanding IQF is no longer optional, it is strategic.

What should you expect from IQF?

The principle of Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) is straightforward: freeze each piece quickly and separately.

However, the process behind that principle is far from simple. When evaluating IQF equipment, the decision should not be limited to capacity or footprint alone. The chosen solution will directly influence product consistency/quality, yield retention, energy exposure and long-term margin stability.

3 Requirements to Set When Investing in IQF

When investing in new IQF capacity, these process requirements should form part of the evaluation.

1. Rapid freezing

The initial phase of freezing, where the product surface forms a stabilising crust, is critical. If this phase is too slow, moisture migration increases, leading to higher dehydration and potential product deformation. If airflow is excessive or unstable, unnecessary weight loss and surface damage may occur.

Freezing time, air velocity and pressure must work together. The aim is to achieve rapid surface stabilisation while maintaining balanced aerodynamics across the product bed.

For processors, dehydration is not only a quality concern, it is a yield variable. Every percentage of moisture lost during freezing represents lost saleable weight. Across high-volume operations, even small deviations in freezing control can translate into measurable financial impact.

2. Limiting Operational Costs

Different freezing technologies carry different cost structures; typically based on either liquid gas or electricity. Both models expose processors to price volatility, but in different ways and to varying degrees.

Within mechanical IQF, efficiency is not defined by installed power alone. The key factor is controllability. As products move through different freezing phases, airflow requirements change. Systems that allow independent adjustment of airflow across separate freezing zones enable processors to align energy use with actual process demand, rather than operating the entire freezer at uniform output. This approach can reduce fan-related energy consumption by up to 30%.

Beyond energy consumption, manual labour requirements and water usage are additional operational factors that can drive long-term costs and gradually reduce potential margins if not carefully considered.

3. Food Safety

Food safety in IQF depends on controlled temperature reduction, stable airflow and hygienic equipment design. Freezers that are difficult to access or clean can interrupt production schedules and increase contamination risk. Systems designed for efficient cleanability without extensive dismantling or prolonged downtime support both compliance and operational continuity.

Design choices also matter. Replaceable bed plates instead of traditional conveyor belts reduce hidden debris zones and simplify sanitation. Controlled airflow and humidity management minimise snow formation inside the freezer, which otherwise signals uncontrolled moisture extraction and potential hygiene challenges.

Ultimately, food safety in IQF depends on predictability: stable temperatures, controlled airflow and equipment that can be cleaned thoroughly without compromising uptime or product integrity.

About OctoFrost

OctoFrost is a Swedish manufacturer of food processing equipment, specialising in advanced solutions for IQF freezing, cooking, frying and chilling. With installations in more than 50 countries, the company combines engineering expertise with deep knowledge of food processing applications.

For more information, visit www.octofrost.com.
Or contact David Johansson, Sales manager UK.

• Birds Eye expands its fast-growing Chicken Shop range with two new wings SKUs created in partnership with award-winning Sauce Shop®
• The launch builds on the range’s double-digit value and volume growth1 as consumers continue to seek bold, customisable fakeaway solutions at home
• Birds Eye Chicken Shop Buffalo Hot Wings and Honey & Chipotle BBQ Wings launch in Tesco and Sainsbury’s from 2nd March

Birds Eye is expanding its high-performing Chicken Shop range with a new collaboration that taps directly into the UK’s appetite for bigger, bolder flavours. The brand has partnered with fast-rising flavour specialist Sauce Shop® to launch two new chicken wings products: Buffalo Hot and Honey BBQ Chipotle, each pairing Chicken Shop’s succulent wings with a dedicated Sauce Shop® sachet for at-home customisation.
Meeting the growing demand for bigger, bolder fakeaways
Demand for flavour-forward fakeaways continues to grow, especially among younger shoppers who want indulgent, customisable meals without the cost or wait of a delivery. Research shows flavour is the top priority in a chicken fakeaway, with over half of 18-34 year olds mixing up what they choose and 40% saying new flavours make the occasion feel more special.

Birds Eye’s Chicken Shop range is already well aligned to this behaviour, offering fast-cooking takeaway-style formats (including air fryer-friendly products), that suit the smaller group occasions that make up 74% of fakeaways.3 The addition of Sauce Shop’s high-intensity, trend-driven sauces gives shoppers even more control by letting them dial up the heat, sweetness or smokiness to their preferred level, while recreating the flavour profiles dominating quick service restaurant menus and social media trends.

A collaboration built around two names gaining momentum with flavour-seekers
Birds Eye’s Chicken Shop is one of the most dynamic brands in frozen, delivering +28.8% value growth and +28% volume growth YOY4 and recruiting new shoppers into frozen poultry +3.7% YOY.5
Sauce Shop® brings equally compelling category momentum. In a competitive sauces category, the brand has delivered +40.4% retail sales value growth with strong gains in hot-sauce and BBQ segments. Its Buffalo Hot Sauce, the brand’s top-selling sauce, is now the second largest Buffalo sauce in the market – and the biggest UK-made – growing +76% YOY.6
Together, the two brands are creating a proposition that drives cross-category interest designed to strengthen trial, repeat and basket spend.

Claire Sutton, Marketing Director at Birds Eye commented: “Our Chicken Shop range has always been about bringing quick service restaurant style quality into the frozen fixture, and flavour sits at the heart of that. Partnering with Sauce Shop®, one of the most exciting flavour brands in the UK, lets us bring the kind of sauces people obsess over online straight into the freezer aisle. These new Chicken Shop wings give consumers all the flavour, fun and flexibility they expect from a night-in without any compromise on taste.”

Pam Digva, Co-Founder at Sauce Shop®, said: “This partnership is rooted in flavour. Birds Eye Chicken Shop delivers great quality wings and pairing them with our sauces lets people tailor the heat and flavour at home. Buffalo Hot and Honey & Chipotle BBQ are two of our best-loved profiles, so they felt like a natural fit for the range.”

The new range will be available from 2nd March in Tesco and Sainsbury’s. The range is available as Birds Eye Chicken Shop Buffalo Hot Chicken Wings 385g and Birds Eye Chicken Shop Honey & Chipotle BBQ Chicken Wings 385g.

Brakes, the UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler, has launched a major new promotion offering more than £100,000 worth of prizes to its mybrakes rewards members.

Menu Match allows a mybrakes rewards customer to ‘Peel and Play’ to win prizes that include instant cashback, electronics, lifestyle items and much more.

Since its launch, mybrakes rewards has been a sea-change in foodservice loyalty, offering online cashback, exclusive deals, and personalised promotions based on sector and purchasing history. It currently has more than 15,000 active members, and Brakes has given back almost £6m in cashback through more than 400,000 personalised offers in the past year alone.

In addition, Brakes plants a tree for every redemption made, with more than 110,000 trees planted to date.

Leon French, Sysco GB Marketing Director, said: “Our goal is to provide customers with value every single time they log on and order. mybrakes rewards isn’t a one-off initiative; it’s a year-round commitment to providing tailored value and rewards that make a real difference to our customers.

“Menu Match provides customers with another chance to win, and it is already proving very popular.”

On 18th May 2026, 21‑year‑old fundraiser Samuel Attwell will set off on an extraordinary 350‑mile ultrarunning challenge from Malin Head to Mizen Head, one of Ireland’s toughest endurance routes, all to raise £50,000 for children with life‑threatening illnesses.

In a feat attempted by very few solo runners and almost none his age, Samuel will spend 10 consecutive days covering vast stretches of rural Ireland, battling harsh weather, fatigue, and unforgiving terrain.

His mission is to support Molly Ollys, a charity he represents as an ambassador, which helps grant wishes and provides vital emotional support to seriously ill children and their families.

Generous Sponsors Already On Board

Samuel has already secured over £12,000 in early sponsorship from businesses connected to his family, support that means everything as he prepares for this immense challenge. But he can’t do it alone. To reach his £50,000 goal for Molly Ollys, Samuel is calling on more sponsors and individuals to stand with him and support children who desperately need hope.

Samuel’s father, Oakland International Co-Founder Dean Attwell, commented: “Samuel’s courage, determination and compassion shine through every step of this challenge. What he’s doing goes beyond endurance, it’s about standing with families facing the unimaginable and making a powerful statement of hope for children and families in crisis.

“Oakland International is honoured to support him, and we urge other businesses and individuals to get behind Samuel to help make a meaningful difference.”

Molly Ollys CEO and Co-Founder Rachel Ollerenshaw said: “This is a massive challenge to take on and I am glad that we can be alongside Samuel as he paces through it. Samuel has done so much for Molly Ollys. From a very young age, he has wanted to get involved and volunteered at many events and fundraised on numerous occasions. For someone at his age to give so much time and energy is every inspiring. This is certainly going to be a tough one and I really hope that he gets all the support and encouragement that he deserves. I know it would mean so much to him to know his efforts have made a very real difference.”

Said Samuel: “I know how quickly life can change. That’s why I’m doing this.”

Samuel’s determination is deeply rooted in personal loss. Having lost his grandmother to cancer, and then, devastatingly, his best friend who passed away at just 18 years old, these experiences ignited a drive in him that goes far beyond sport.

“When you lose the people you love far too soon, it changes you. It makes you realise how precious time is especially for children who don’t get the chance to grow up. Running across Ireland is nothing compared to what these families face every day. If my miles can bring smiles, strength, or support to even one child, then every step will be worth it.” added Samuel.

10 Days, 350 Miles, One Immense Challenge

From 18th May, Samuel will embark on a journey from the northernmost tip of Ireland to its southernmost point, completing the route on 27th May.

Daily Route Breakdown:

• Day 1: Malin Head → Derry — 52km
• Day 2: Derry → Baragh — 68km
• Day 3: Baragh → Ballinamore — 52km
• Day 4: Ballinamore → Ballymahon — 61km
• Day 5: Ballymahon → Banagher — 48km
• Day 6: Banagher → Nenagh — 42km
• Day 7: Nenagh → Bruff — 55km
• Day 8: Bruff → Millstreet — 70km
• Day 9: Millstreet → Kealkill — 55km
• Day 10: Kealkill → Mizen Head — 55km

Almost 350 miles of rolling hills, quiet rural roads, and unpredictable Irish weather.

If successful, Samuel will join a very small and elite group and at just 21, become one of the youngest solo runners ever to complete the route.

Bringing the World Along for the Ride

Samuel plans to make the challenge highly visible sharing daily video updates, GPS maps and live progress, training insights, milestones and setbacks, and honest unfiltered footage.

His goal is to ignite momentum, inspire others, and make this challenge truly go viral.

“£50,000 isn’t just a target,” said Samuel. “It’s the difference we can make to the lives of so many poorly children.

“If I reach my fundraising target, then that money will deliver up to 100 wishes, provide more than 2,500 therapeutic toys and books and support vital projects in children’s hospitals. Molly Ollys stands beside families at the toughest moments of their lives and every pound raised strengthens that support.”

Samuel’s Final Message

“I’m asking people to join me, not on the road, but in spirit. Every pound is fuel. Every share helps spread awareness. Every message keeps me going. Let’s turn every mile into a moment of hope for the children who need it most.”

About Molly Ollys

Molly Olly’s Wishes (https://mollyolly.co.uk/) was launched by Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw in 2011 following the loss of their daughter Molly. Since then, the charity has supported over 21,500 children across the country, granted 5,500 wishes, provided over 23,000 Olly The Brave books, and raised more than £5.7m.

Throughout the 15 years Molly Ollys has been running, it has raised more than £5 million; granted more than 4,300 wishes; supported more than 19,500 children and distributed more than 20,000 Olly The Brave books to more than 70 hospitals.

The charity works alongside the NHS to support projects within the hospitals and the community. One key project was the creation and refurbishment of Magnolia House at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. This is a safe and non-clinical space where medical teams and families can have important discussions.

Molly Ollys is also responsible for funding the first ever consultant in paediatric palliative medicine at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, in 2018 and further provided funding for two more consultants, doubling the number of existing roles in the region.

Molly Ollys need the support of companies and individuals to enable them to help more children. They welcome the opportunity to provide more information about their work. For details contact Rachel on 07747 854914.