As part of the BFFFs membership of the Move to -15°C Coalition and our work with our equivalents across Europe and the US, we would like feedback from our members on a Cold Chain Baseline Monitoring Protocol, developed by an AFFI-GCCA Taskforce on GHG Reductions. The protocol is being designed so that all research is conducted in a way that it is all comparable. The task force was an informal group of U.S. frozen stakeholders who met at the end of last year discuss the needs and challenges related to raising the standard set point of frozen storage and distribution temperature in the cold chain and look for reductions in energy consumption and GHG emissions from the frozen sector from such a transition.

 

If you would like to engage in this process, please could you send us thoughts on the document in comments or track changes which will be collated and sent to the task force. We will be very grateful for any input from you all.

Download document 

Please send your responses to Rupert Ashby on rupertashby@bfff.co.uk

 

Community Shop, the UK’s first social supermarket, hosted Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh today (15 January) at the Lambeth store. During  the visit,  The Duchess witnessed firsthand Community Shop’s transformative work tackling the root cause of food insecurity by providing members with a hand up, not a hand-out.

Community  Shop, the award-winning social enterprise arm of the UK’s leading surplus redistributor Company Shop Group, operates 13 stores nationwide supporting areas of social inequality in the UK. Through its unique model, Community Shop sells surplus products donated by food industry partners at a deeply discounted price, ensuring that products don’t needlessly go to waste, whilst simultaneously providing a sustainable support model for thousands of families each year.

The Duchess of Edinburgh is patron to over 70 charities and organisations focusing on food production, women’s empowerment, eye health and disability support. During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Duchess of Edinburgh volunteered with a number of local food banks and supported NHS care workers. During  today’s visit to Community Shop, Her Royal Highness participated in community activities, helped to serve the store’s “Feast Day” and toured the site whilst speaking to Community Shop team and members, and hearing the positive impact Community Shop has on them and the wider community.

During  a tour of Community Shop, The Duchess of Edinburgh explored the three interconnected spaces of the site: Community Store, Community Hub, and Community Kitchen. Community Stores provide members with a much-needed access to deeply discounted food and essentials, including fruit, vegetables and bread for only 20p. The profits from Community Store are reinvested into the Community Hub, which delivers holistic support programmes to empower individuals to develop their own capabilities and deliver a positive future for themselves. Additionally, each Community Shop features a Community Kitchen, a café that allows people to connect with others and learn through food, as well as providing home-cooked meals for the community with kids eating free every day. People join on a membership basis and is open to those on means-tested benefits and who live in the local area.

Since its inception in 2013, Community Shop has supported over 72,000 families with its sustainable model, that aims to improve peoples’ circumstances for the long-term. Within the interconnected spaces, Community Store has saved members over £50 million on shopping, whilst the Community Hubs have delivered more than 200,000 development programmes and Community Kitchens have fed over 880,000 children for free.

Executive Chairman of Community Shop, Gary Stott, said: “We are honoured to have  welcomed Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Edinburgh, to Community Shop Lambeth today. This Royal visit highlights the vital importance of our mission and is a real boost for the Community Shop team who work tirelessly to tackle food insecurity. Our Lambeth store provides a lifeline for the local community and we’re proud to have created a vibrant, welcoming space where people come to share stories, learn and eat together.”

Esther Dennis, Community Wellbeing Practitioner said: “The success of our model is evident in the numbers – over the past decade we’ve managed to save our local members over £6 million on their shopping in our Lambeth store enabling our community to support themselves and their families. Money raised in Community Shop Lambeth has been re-invested into delivering 12,000 development programmes for the local community. The Duchess of Edinburgh’s support today will help to amplify our message as we continue expanding our efforts to tackle food poverty in our local community and nationwide.”

The Pecan Deluxe brand – Bling, has extended its range of cookie dough with the introduction of new 6kg bulk catering packs.

Bling frozen cookie dough chunks are a novel product which offer caterers a multitude of ways to add this trendy dessert item to their menus.  Hot ‘cookie dough’ in particular is an extremely popular sweet treat and has become a staple menu item for not only dessert & ice cream parlours, but also restaurants, pubs, cafes & event caterers.

 

Bling cookie dough is designed to be baked straight from the freezer; it is very simple to do & requires no special skill to prepare.  In addition, the unique frozen chunk (pellet) format provides endless flexibility with portion sizes and choice of serving container.

Cookie dough from Bling can also be microwaved into a hot dessert in a matter of seconds, which makes it one of the fastest & most convenient dessert options around & ideal for event catering & food delivery services.

Unlike other cookie dough options on the market, Bling cookie dough is safe & delicious to eat raw, so as well as baking into hot desserts, it can be added to numerous sweet treats like gelato, milkshakes, waffles, cheesecakes and ice cream sundaes etc. and it opens up a range of menu opportunities for caterers across a wide variety of sectors.

 

The new 6kg pack contains enough cookie dough to make 60 x 100g hot cookie desserts, & adds a convenient mid-size pack to the existing Bling cookie dough range of 18kg & 0.78kg branded pouches in a variety of flavours.

Pecan Deluxe are keen to hear from foodservice wholesalers interested in adding this to their product range.

Lawyers are urgently warning that the ‘clock may run out’ before an international claim is successfully served, as severe backlogs at the UK’s Foreign Process Section (FPS) continue to impact those in the food and drink sector dealing with overseas clients.

The FPS, which handles the service of claims abroad in compliance with the Hague Convention, is grappling with processing times that could take several months.

Businesses in the food and drink sector hoping to serve documents abroad could run the risk of not successfully serving a claim within the Civil Procedure Rules’ (CPR) six-month deadline, potentially prejudicing their position.

Sneha Nainwal, partner at law firm Shakespeare Martineau, who specialises in cross-border disputes, said: “The FPS handles a range of international disputes, with commercial claims being the most common.

“Typical cases involve a UK-based claimant seeking to recover contractual debts or damages from foreign defendants.

“These cross-border claims, regardless of industry, are increasingly subject to delays due to the FPS backlog.”

The FPS plays a pivotal role in the initial stages of litigation involving the service of documents overseas. When a claimant issues proceedings in the UK and the defendant resides abroad, the FPS ensures legal documents are served accurately and in compliance with international protocols.

This crucial function is central to the ‘international service of claim’ phase – a vital step that sets the stage for the progression of the case towards resolution or settlement. By facilitating this process, the FPS supports the efficient administration of justice across borders.

The current backlog stems from the residual effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to global lockdowns and restrictions, the FPS was temporarily suspended, leading to an accumulation of claims waiting to be processed. This delay has compounded over time, with a growing volume of claims requiring international service.

Sneha said: “The most pressing risk for businesses issuing a claim is the expiration of the six-month period for serving the claim form. Failure to serve within this timeframe could result in the claim being deemed invalid or struck out.

“The best way to mitigate this risk is for claimants to act proactively by ensuring their application to the FPS for serving documents abroad is watertight.

“The FPS enforces strict procedural rules, and any oversight or misstep could result in the rejection of the application, forcing the claimant to restart the process and face further delays in an already backlogged system.

“To avoid this, ensure all documents are in perfect order and apply promptly for an extension if you anticipate difficulty serving within the six-month deadline.

“Don’t leave things to the last minute. For the best chance of success and to avoid unnecessary complications, seek professional advice.”