India Hoad, Head of Sales and Marketing at Korker Sausages Ltd and fourth generation within the business, has recently been shortlisted in the category Manufacturing/Processing in the Women in Meat Industry Awards 2025. These prestigious awards reward and recognise outstanding female talent within the UK meat industry.
Vote for your winner here: https://lnkd.in/gxb4itv
I scream, you scream, we all scream for…
Marshfield Farm Ice Cream, a family-run business in South Gloucestershire, started small but now supplies delicious ice cream nationwide to over 8,000 parlours, cafés, restaurants, and farm shops. Farmed by the Hawking family since the 1970s, the Red Tractor-approved and Soil Association Organic farm produces over 30 award-winning ice cream flavours, using milk from its own herd of 240 British Friesian cows, all made on-site within 24 hours.
Marshfield Farm aims to be the most beloved ice cream among British families while positively impacting the planet. As a B Corp certified company, it adheres to high Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards and has implemented a comprehensive 3-year ESG strategy with specific goals.
The company’s environmental goals include building on work they’ve already done to reduce energy usage where possible, and to create its own energy from renewable sources. These measures have included 100% of heat requirements coming from a wood pellet boiler, heating and cooling of ice cream coming from a heat exchanger, and all lights being timed LEDs. As the scale of production increased, it was an obvious decision to increase the amount of electricity generated from solar PV across the available roof space of the factory, barns and farm buildings.
Marshfield Farm Ice Cream’s growth, driven by perfecting their craft and customer recommendations, led to Mypower being suggested by a satisfied client to design a suitable solar energy system for the farm. Installing solar PV across multiple buildings required meticulous planning of cabling, distribution, and data connectivity to track the carbon savings committed in Marshfield’s ESG goals.
In 2022, Mypower installed a 446 kWp solar PV system which increased the on-site solar energy capacity by 400%. Then in early 2024, Mypower returned to install Phase 2, adding a further 334 kWp, taking the total Mypower system size to 780.99 kWp. The total system will provide over 40% of the farm’s annual electricity needs.
“Marshfield Farm Ice Cream is a family run, multi-generational business and our ice cream is dependent on the health of our cows, the land they roam and our planet. Installing more solar panels on the otherwise unused rooftops of our buildings will mean the farm will be powered by renewable energy into at least the next generation. Mypower have been an ideal fit for Marshfield Farm, acting with care and professionalism, and we look forward to welcoming the team back for the next phase (and some more ice cream).”
Loughnane’s of Galway, a name synonymous with quality and tradition, is proud to announce our recent success in securing new business ventures in the UK. Our continued commitment to excellence has paved the way for a significant expansion, allowing us to share our beloved products in other markets.
Our product range is as diverse as it is delicious. We offer a wide variety of frozen sausages and black pudding, each crafted with the finest ingredients and a dedication to traditional methods. These products have long been a staple in many households, celebrated for their rich flavours and authentic taste.
In response to growing consumer demand, we have also positioned ourselves as leaders in the plant-based category. The frozen plant-based sector in the UK is recovering well, with more consumers seeking healthy, sustainable, and delicious alternatives to traditional meat products. Loughnane’s of Galway has embraced this trend, leveraging our expertise to develop an extensive range of plant-based products that do not compromise on taste or quality. Our commitment to innovation and sustainability ensures that we meet the needs of the modern consumer, providing plant-based options that are as satisfying as they are environmentally friendly.
Our offerings are available in both retail and food service formats, catering to a wide array of customers. Additionally, we are proud to serve as private label manufacturers, partnering with various retailers and food service operators, bringing exceptional products to market. This versatility underscores our ability to adapt and thrive in a competitive landscape, delivering products that meet diverse consumer preferences.
To support our growth and enhance our production capabilities, we have recently completed a multi-million-euro investment in our facilities. This substantial upgrade has significantly increased our capacity and efficiency, enabling us to meet rising demand while maintaining our high standards of quality. This investment is a testament to our commitment to excellence and our vision for the future.
As we continue to expand our footprint in the UK, Loughnane’s of Galway remains dedicated to delivering the finest products to our customers. Our success is built on a foundation of tradition, quality, and innovation, and we are excited to share our journey with new partners and consumers across the UK.”
On 9th June 2023, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published guidance on labelling requirements for certain products moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme.
We are pleased to announce that we have updated the guidance, incorporating feedback and queries that we have received from businesses. This includes providing more examples of products falling into different phases, expanding on definitions e.g. of compound and composite products, and further details on products with exemptions to individual labelling.
Commodity Codes
We have also published the commodity codes for products that will be covered by Phase 2 – you can access them here
Commodity codes can be a helpful tool to complement the guidance. However, we recommend following the description of the products for each phase as set out in the guidance, rather than depending on the commodity codes alone.
In response to trader feedback, we have also updated the Phase 1 commodity codes.
Get in Touch
Should you have any questions or queries relating to the labelling guidance, please email us at ni.trade@defra.gov.uk.
WRAP are taking forward two consultations during the Summer as part of the UK Plastics Pact. The deadline for both consultations is 5pm, 12 September 2024.
The Eliminating Problem Plastics Report was last updated in 2022 when 6 additional items were added to the list of items or materials to be eliminated, as far as possible, by the end of 2025. The criteria for Target 1 involves items/materials that:
To date, the Target 1 list has provided an important framework for focus and effort on materials with members working on the same challenges together to a similar timeline. As delivery of the Pact Targets 2 (recyclability) and 3 (effectively recycled) is contingent on the removal or redesign of plastic packaging which is not recyclable and which will not be included within Simpler Recycling, the Target 1 list is being strengthened in order to ensure the same level of focus and effort is placed on materials which are hindering progress towards Targets 2 and 3. Although the end date of 2025 is fast approaching, it is important for the credibility of the Pact to maintain momentum and ambition whilst also reflecting policy developments, innovation and technical developments.
It is for this reason that WRAP is consulting on a wider list of materials which will not be effectively recycled at scale and therefore defined as recyclable within the duration of the Pact nor when household film collections are implemented through Simpler Recycling, along with items designated red in the Polymer Choices best practice design for recyclability. A webinar has been scheduled for members on 24 July to run through the proposed changes and answer any queries. We kindly ask to register on Eventbrite by noon Wednesday 24 July 2024 by visiting here.
Feedback will treated confidentially, collated and used to inform the updates to the Eliminating Problem Plastics report. The final report will be shared with members prior to publication this Autumn.
For action: Please review the attached Target 1 consultation document which provides further details on the materials and items being considered for elimination or further investigation, along with the accompanying rationale and complete the Consultation Survey by 5pm on 12 September 2024. A pdf of the survey questions is also attached should you wish to share with colleagues ahead of completing the survey.
The Roadmap to 2025 provides interim milestones and key actions that need to be taken in order for us to collectively deliver UK Plastics Pact targets. It was last updated in June 2022 and, given changes to the policy landscape and key packaging reforms, is now out of date. At the same time UK Plastics Pact members have asked for greater visibility of the critical pathway to 2025, including how much progress is likely to be reported by the end of 2025, and the key actions that need to take place in the following five year period to 2030. A refreshed Roadmap to 2025 (and beyond) will therefore be published this Autumn, in conjunction with the Pact’s annual Progress Report. The draft updated Roadmap was shared in brief at the Summit and is attached. We are therefore seeking your views on the proposed updates in conjunction with the Target 1 Consultation as they are interlinked.
For action: Please review the attached draft refreshed Roadmap to 2025 which provides individual Roadmaps for each of the Pact’s targets and complete the Consultation Survey by 5pm on 12 September 2024. A pdf of the survey questions is also attached should you wish to share with colleagues ahead of completing the survey.
Thank you for taking the time to respond to both surveys. We will review all of your feedback in developing the two reports. In the meantime if you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to contact your Account Manager or ukplasticspact@wrap.ngo
UK Plastics Pact Eliminating Problem Plastics Consultation July 2024
UK Plastics Pact Eliminating Problem Plastics Survey Questions June 2024
Temperature-controlled food storage and distribution business Reed Boardall has turned to Volvo Trucks for two new 42-tonne FM Electric 4×2 tractor units, marking the customer’s latest step in decarbonising its transport operations with alternative fuel products from the Swedish manufacturer.
Joining an all Volvo-supplied 200-strong commercial vehicle fleet – of which a quarter already consists of gas-powered trucks – the FM Electrics will work together to create a 24/7 zero-tailpipe emission operation. After extensive route planning and consideration of the best utilisation of the trucks, they have been assigned to a local collection shuttle, bringing stock in to store at Reed Boardall’s Boroughbridge site.
Stevland Town, managing director of Reed Boardall’s transport division, says: “Sustainability is an issue close to our hearts, hence why we’ve been so proactive in welcoming non-fossil fuel Volvos onto the fleet already. And, with electric technology progressing so rapidly, we were eager to introduce an electric model into the business at the earliest opportunity.
“Electric trucks are not a one-size-fits-all solution in our industry but there is potential to successfully deploy this technology within certain parameters. With Volvo’s help, we were able to quickly identify a suitable route and the early results we’ve seen have far surpassed our expectations as it has proved possible to get an efficient number of trips out of the batteries.”
The FM Electrics both feature three electrical motors, generating an output of 666 hp and 2,400 Nm of continuous torque, paired with a standard I-Shift gearbox to deliver a smooth and ultra-quiet in-cab driving experience.
This impressive performance is handled by an electromobility traction control system to help manage power output on slippery surfaces, while different drive modes are available to set the desired performance, comfort, and energy usage levels.
The vehicles have already received great reviews from Reed Boardall’s drivers, in part courtesy of the vehicles’ full air suspension and a Drive++ package, which adds dual armrests, leather upholstery and fully electronic air conditioning with sun, mist, air quality sensors and a carbon filter – ensuring premium driver comfort.
“When we first told the drivers that they were moving into an electric truck, there wasn’t an entirely positive response,” adds Town. “However, even after just a couple of days, they had all been totally converted. The feedback we’ve had is that they are a total pleasure to drive, so much so that they say they would not want to go back to driving a diesel truck.
“Volvo’s driver training was a big part of that success. Its team helped make the transition as smooth as possible and ensured we are operating these vehicles with maximum efficiency.”
Both trucks are fully backed by Volvo, including comprehensive five-year Volvo Gold Contracts to guarantee maximum uptime. This includes preventative maintenance and repairs, plus the monitoring of key systems including batteries and other critical components.
Ian Middleton, managing director at Crossroads says: “Crossroads Truck and Bus has been supplying vehicles to Reed Boardall for circa 15 years, and it is a privilege to be alongside them as they embark on the next chapter of their sustainability journey. By being a leader and investing in making the shift by leveraging Volvo Trucks’ latest e-mobility technology, Reed Boardall has taken charge of the change, safeguarding the next generation.”
From its beginnings as a single cold storage facility, family business Reed Boardall has grown to be the UK’s largest single-site cold storage operation, with its base in Boroughbridge capable of storing more than 168,000 pallets of frozen produce at any one time.
BMG, an independent research organisation, are gathering feedback on behalf of the consultancy RSK ADAS, who are undertaking an important study for the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
DEFRA wish to understand the impact, particularly relating to cost, of new food labelling requirements on businesses, and we believe that your business can provide very valuable input on this subject. Your participation will help DEFRA understand what support it can provide to businesses who are having to make changes to meet new regulations and standards.
Ideally the feedback should be from someone within your business who has responsibility for making decisions relating to the design of your food and drink products’ labels or has detailed knowledge of costs relating to labelling activity.
The survey link below provides you or someone else within your business with the opportunity to respond quickly and easily. It should only take no more than around 15 minutes, and you can pause and come back to the questions later if you need to.
Taking part is voluntary, anonymous and confidential, and you can withdraw from the research at any time. Although BMG will ask you to identify your business, this is for their information only – to ensure that the survey is only completed once by a business and to avoid any unnecessary further contact to encourage survey completion. DEFRA will not know whether you took part and will not be able to identify your individual answers in the data reported to them. Whether you decide to take part or not, it will not affect how DEFRA works with you, now or in the future.
BMG is an independent research company and is bound by the Market Research Society Code of Conduct and the Data Protection Act. You can find our privacy notice here: www.bmgresearch.co.uk/privacy/
If you’d prefer, we can arrange an appointment for a call to go through the survey questions over the telephone. Please contact us if that is the case, or if you have any other query at: help_line@bmgresearch.com
Please complete your returns by close on Friday the 9th of August.
New research has found that almost two-thirds of UK businesses’ senior decision-makers will increase the number of times employees must attend their workspace.
The findings come from an independent survey of 1,002 senior decision-makers within UK businesses. The results revealed that 59% of respondents said their employees would be expected to be present at the office more frequently than they have over the last year.
Face-to-face interaction is clearly important. When asked what the most important factor is when selecting a new workspace, networking and event opportunities were at the top of the list with 31%. In addition, 65% of respondents said the technology they use in the workspace is essential for networking and collaboration.
Yet for a significant number, basic functions of their office technology are letting them down. A quarter (24%) of those asked said that the mobile or online platform for booking meeting rooms and registering guests was poor, whilst 19% stated that the platform for communicating with other members or learning about events taking place in the space was also poor.
