Tues 18th Nov, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London

STAPLE FOOD GROUP LAUNCHES NEW RIBELLA HUMMUS RANGE

Posted on by Michael Brown

NEW Ribella Hummus Range is now exclusively available from global sourcing & supply partner, Staple Food Group.

The fastest growing brand in Eastern Europe, Ribella creates phenomenal, tasty food which is good for you and the environment. The range promotes a healthier and more viable food option for discerning consumers.

Ribella is suitable for vegetarians and is gluten free. Ribella also has a 150 day shelf life, perfect for the UK retail market.

Ribella Range:

Ribella Hummus. Smooth and delicious and available in eight flavours; Classic, Italiano, Sweet Onion Salad, Shiitake Mushroom, Spicy, Pumpkin Seeds, Kalamata Olives & Caramelised Garlic.

 

Ribella Grab & Go Pots. Convenient pots of hummus perfect for food to go with a portion of gluten free crackers, made from chickpeas, included. The only vegan and gluten free Grab & Go

pot of its kind. Available in two flavours; Natural and Spicy.

 

Staple Food Group’s high quality products are responsibly sourced with outstanding provenance and sustainability credentials. By using only the best quality ingredients and FSC certified recyclable packaging where possible, Ribella are constantly striving for sustainability.

BFFF AND ICELAND FOODS RUN MEET THE BUYER EVENT

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Earlier this month, we ran a successful ‘Meet the Buyer’ event with our member, Iceland Foods.

The event brought together several BFFF members and was a fantastic opportunity for members to present their products to the Iceland buying team.

Our thanks to Gareth Thomas, Oliver Gilding and the rest of the Iceland buying team for making this event possible.

We continue to work towards running future events with retailers and wholesalers and will share information in our weekly communication when it become available.

BIDFOOD RESEARCH REVEALS THAT VALUE FOR MONEY WILL NO LONGER BE TOP OF MIND FOR NEARLY 70% OF CONSUMERS THIS CHRISTMAS

Posted on by Billy Moone

Christmas will once again see the return to the traditional demands of luxury and indulgence, however, unlike last year, value for money will not be a priority for 68% of consumers[1]. Instead, they will be seeking a high-quality offering when eating and drinking out of home this festive season.

To support such an important time for the hospitality industry, one of the UK’s leading wholesalers, Bidfood, commissioned its own research around consumer decision-making when eating and drinking out this Christmas period.

Based on this, Bidfood has provided a comprehensive festive range that encompasses high-quality Christmas classics, 25 of which offer customers the chance to save up to £175 in the New Year through a newly launched Star Deals promotion.

Consumer priorities  

Compared to last year, 2024 will see an increase in consumers (20%) who see eating and drinking out as their primary way of socialising, ramping up what is already a busy period for hospitality workers. To help balance increased pressures, whilst still providing quality, Bidfood has developed dishes that provide a sense of luxury without taking up resources. Classic Cuisine Blacksticks blue soufflé will be sure to tantalise taste buds, whilst Mademoiselle Desserts white forest roulade, served with smooth cream and fresh berries is sure to be a hit, it’s the perfect sweet treat to end the meal.

Consumers are expecting premium meats and vegetables, with descriptors such as ‘fresh’, ‘quality’ and ‘local’ drawing their attention on menus. Bidfood’s range covers this demand with a number of options such as the turkey paupiette, Farmstead Red Tractor British beef fillet chain off, Everyday Favourites baby carrots and sweet honey glazed roast parsnips.

Giving back this festive season

As well as its new festive range, Bidfood wanted to embrace one of its ‘key ingredients’ – real value, by giving something back this Christmas and New Year. Launching a new Star Deals promotion, which focuses on 25 festive best-sellers, Bidfood customers can save up to £175 on their January and February orders based on the number of Star Deal products they order in November and December. It comes at a crucial time for the industry when like-for-like sales show little growth. Just this year, hospitality groups reported year-on-year like-for-like sales growth of 0.1% in January, reflecting consumer spending during the 2023 festive season[2].

Antonia Baker, Campaign & Activation Manager at Bidfood commented:

“With a variety of new and returning products that stretch across a whole host of categories, including on-the-go, desserts, meat-free and of course luxury and quality, consumers will be spoilt for choice this festive season.

“Bidfood’s 2024 range seeks to assist and simplify the lives of operators over what is always a hectic period, whilst also offering delicious food to consumers, working to deliver the best festive period ever.

“We’ve also thought ahead while planning this year’s Christmas campaign and standing by our key ingredients to deliver service excellence, real value and a passion for food, introduced our Star Deals promotion. We know that after all the big spending at Christmas, consumers’ eating out habits will drop in the New Year and subsequently business for operators. This promotion will give our customers the chance to recover and grow during this January-February lull.

“I’m also incredibly excited about our new gingerbread range as ginger is the festive flavour set to dominate this Christmas. We’ve taken inspiration from this spice to create our very own gingerbread village scene, which features on the front page of our Christmas brochure. Keep an eye out as it’ll also become the latest livery addition to our iconic fleet of vehicles to operate during the festive season!”

[1] Bidfood and 3Gem Christmas research, 2024

[2] RSM UK, February 2024

VIRTUAL EVENT: OPTIMISE YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN

Posted on by Richard Davies

Join Smurfit Westrock for an exclusive online event for BFFF members where you will discover what your business can do to tackle supply chain complexities whilst optimising your impact on sustainability and ensuring compliance with packaging legislation obligations.

Within a 30 minute presentation, you will be introduced to powerful resources including a tool which uses a unique combination of extensive data drawn from over 100,000 supply chains across 5000 customers, 24 sectors, in 35 countries, underpinned by innovative solutions and deep industry expertise.

You will learn how these tools could translate for you to deliver on cost reduction, sustainability, packaging legislation and innovation targets.

The session will end with a 15 min Q and A with Smurfit Westrock experts.

 

ALARMINGLY HIGH NUMBER OF OFFICE WORKERS SAID TO BE UNAWARE OF FIRE DOOR SAFETY

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

Most (75%) fire doors in Britain do not meet required standards, with 31% of doors having been installed incorrectly in the first place, meaning that they were never able to offer adequate protection.

These claims come from a new study, which has been investigating how knowledgeable the typical UK worker is about fire doors, in particular whether they can tell when such doors are in correct working order.

Researchers asked 1,000 UK office workers about a list of fire door faults and asked them to identify which were problems. Of those asked:

  • 80% appreciated that fire doors should not be wedged open and kept closed.
  • 41% reported having seen fire doors wedged or propped open.
  • 57% understood that cracked glass in the window was as an issue.
  • 43% recognised that it would be a problem if the lock had been removed from the door.
  • 22% identified that gaps around the door frame would be an issue.
  • 13% said that missing door screws would present a problem.
  • 9% knew that signs of wear and tear marks on the door’s hinge would need actioning.
  • 17% said they had seen a fire door at their workplace locked.

The survey also asked respondents about their experience of fire doors at their place of work, identifying how much training they had been given when they started.

Some 35% said they had not been shown the fire exit route at their workplace, ending with the final fire exit door that leads to a place of safety.

The survey asked people’s opinions of how a fire door ought to be kept when not in use. Over a third gave an incorrect answer at 34%, while 8% thought a fire door should be kept completely open, and 7% thought it should be propped or wedged ajar.

Research was based on a survey of 1,000 UK office workers and all data was collected online between 28 June and 1 July 2024.

To find out more about fire safety please remember as a BFFF member you have access to industry level advice through the coordinated primary authority partnership with Essex Fire & Rescue.

For more information on OSH or Fire Safety please contact simonbrentnall@bfff.co.uk.

 

HEALTH AND SAFETY INVESTMENT CAN BE “GAME-CHANGER”, SAYS IOSH

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

The British Frozen Food Federation works closely with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and sits on their industry specific group for Food and Drink. We share the vision of a food and drink industry that is safe, healthy and sustainable.

IOSH has recently called on UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his government to invest further in legislation which prevents workers from being harmed.

Such a move would reduce workplace accidents and work-related ill health and provide a “game-changing prize” of improved performance and productivity which will support economic growth, it says.

In a letter to Sir Keir, IOSH highlights the UK’s Health and Safety at Work Act, which was published 50 years ago, and says there is an opportunity to build on the foundations it created.

It calls for an improved focus on mental health while adding it is encouraged by the government’s forthcoming Employment Rights Bill.

The letter is co-signed by IOSH chief executive Vanessa Harwood-Whitcher and board of trustees chair Professor Peter Bonfield OBE.

In it, they say: “Fifty years ago, the UK’s world-leading Health and Safety at Work Act was introduced. Let’s invest further in this pioneering legislation and its regulator. Let’s protect working people’s safety, health and welfare and strengthen our ability to respond to the challenges and opportunities of new ways of working – including an improved focus on mental health at work.

“The content of your Employment Rights Bill gives hope to millions of people who suffer poor working standards. We welcome protections for those in gig work, the informal economy and in global supply chains – as well as the right to ‘switch off’, which Labour promised before the election.

Manifesto

Ahead of the general election, IOSH published its manifesto, in which it made five calls to action for the new government:

  • Protecting workers’ rights to safe, healthy and decent work.
  • Strengthening and expanding the UK’s world-leading system that prevents harm at work.
  • Supporting businesses to tackle new and emerging workplace hazards.
  • Promoting a diverse, inclusive, skilled and motivated workforce.
  • Building a more robust, sustainable economy.

The Institution says it hopes to work closely with the government to ensure health and safety standards across the UK are as robust as possible.

ESG IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN 2024

Posted on by Charles Hogg

I am reaching out today as Unsworth, in collaboration with Sustainability partners B Other Wise, are hosting a webinar on Friday 30th August titled ESG in the Supply Chain: What You Need to Know in 2024.

Join us for an insightful webinar where industry experts will delve into the critical importance of sustainability in supply chains, the risks of inaction, and practical solutions to drive positive change. Understand the pressing issues of fluctuating water levels in the Panama and Suez Canals, the environmental impact of freight, and upcoming legislation affecting supply chains. Our speakers will present actionable solutions, including strategies to reduce truck mileage and fuel consumption, optimise port operations, explore alternative transportation methods, and the benefits of carbon reporting. We’ll share a demo of Pathway carbon accounting functionality and showcase how businesses can effectively measure and manage their environmental impact. Plus join a Q&A session to engage directly with our experts and gain valuable insights into driving sustainability within their supply chains. Sign up now to secure your spot!

Click HERE to register

GET PREPARED FOR THE SINGLE CHED D

Posted on by Neesha Ramsingh-Cleary

The single CHED D for High-Risk Food and Feed of Non-Animal Origin (HRFNAO) goes live on Tuesday 3 September. This change aligns the import notifications for both the European Union (EU) and Rest of the World (RoW) countries.

Preparing for the CHED D switchover  

Make sure you are prepared for the CHED D switchover:

  • You must ensure all draft CHED Ds are submitted before the switchover deadline at 01 am on Tuesday 3 September. 

Please note: You won’t be able to amend these drafts, after we switch over to the single CHED D. 

  • Any new CHED Ds submitted after the switch, can be amended in the usual way
  • The switchover will happen at 01 am on Tuesday 3 September

Changes to new CHED D 

There are some important changes to the new CHED D:

  • For the first time traders located outside of the EU (RoW traders) will receive notification messages that they might be called for inspection.
  • There is a new question which asks if the consignment is travelling via a carrier that uses Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS).
  • If the carrier does use GVMS and ‘Yes’ is selected for this question, hauliers moving consignments on a GVMS route will be informed via GVMS if their load has been called into a BCP for SPS check.
  • If the trader does not know if their carrier uses GVMS, they must check with the haulier, so they can answer this question accurately in the CHED.
  • Following user feedback, the contacts page has been revised to make it clearer where your contacts should be added.

Information on importing HRFNAO from non-EU countries is available on GOV UK.