Simply the best
The Food Manufacture Excellence Awards provide a benchmark for the entire food and drink processing industry to aspire to by showcasing those who truly excel in every category.
More than 400 people from manufacturers, trade bodies and other stakeholder groups gathered at the Marriott, Grosvenor Square in London last month to celebrate the achievements of their peers and themselves.
And while competition was tougher than ever before and everyone who entered deserved congratulation, the winners' accomplishments shone through and spoke for themselves.
Food Manufacture Company of the Year Sponsored by: Food Manufacture
This award goes to the cream of the crop. The company receiving the crown of overall winner from among the various category winners most accurately embodies everything the awards stand for, demonstrating all round manufacturing excellence.
Winner: Greencore Chilled Soups and Sauces
This division of Greencore Group satisfies 40% of the UK's demand for chilled sauces. From 2005-2008, the firm almost doubled production, staff numbers and product lines at its Bristol headquarters, investing £2M in new production equipment and £1M in a new cold store.
"It scored highly in every category," said one judge. "Greencore Chilled Soups & Sauces experienced a major refrigeration breakdown [in 2007] - they were out for eight days," added another. "How it handled that speaks volumes."
One judge praised its health and safety improvements, saying: "You got the feeling it was empowering staff." Communications initiatives such as 'Greencore Solutions', including a new colleague forum and newsletter, proved to be a major route to accomplishing that.
Food Manufacture Personality of The Year Sponsored by: Barclays Commercial
This award, now in its second year, recognises the person who has significantly contributed to the food and drink sector in the past year. That could either be indirectly, through transforming their own business, or directly, through initiatives that benefit or inspire the wider sector. Unlike the other awards, the winner is nominated by their peers, responding via a poll running on Food Manufacture's website.
Nominees:
Jonathan Adnams, chairman, Adnams
Stefan Barden, chief exec., Northern Foods
Dave Brooks, former chief executive, Finsbury Food Group
Fiona Dawson, md, Mars Snackfood
John Gatenby, director, Vale of Mowbray
Philip McIvor, chairman, Farmhouse Biscuits
Greg Peterson, UK md, Kellogg
Winner: Philip McIvor
McIvor has run Farmhouse Biscuits since 1963. Now more than 70 years old he still has tremendous passion for the Lancashire-based family run business.
Farmhouse Biscuits makes traditional English biscuits and employs more than 200 members of staff, supplying top stores internationally.
Despite his serious illness two years ago, McIvor's great management team carried him and the company through, producing a very acceptable increase in the previous year's turnover and bottom line.
Under his chairmanship, Farmhouse Biscuits has continued to expand and the future certainly looks bright for the company, with this year's figures running well up on the previous 12 months.
Ambient and General Groceries Sponsored by: foodmanjobs.co.uk
Winner: Greencore Grocery
A major UK manufacturer of bottled recipe products, Greencore Grocery produces 1,400 branded and customer own-label sauces, pickles, dressings, condiments and soft drinks lines, boasting a turnover of more than £100M.
A division of Greencore Group, Greencore Grocery operates from a 23 acre site at Selby near York employing 700 people and exporting to 21 countries. Recent accomplishments include British Retail Consortium Grade A accreditation and the launch of its Weightwatchers Cooking Sauces this year, which upped the penetration of healthy sauces in UK households. Its category management programme for Asda boosted sales of its own-label table sauces by 21% year-on-year.
Greencore Grocery won the day in this category, having launched a major new product development initiative in the form of its Weightwatchers Cooking Sauces. In addition, its category management drive for Asda boosted sales of its own-label table sauces by 21%. Judges praised "a significant outperformance" by Greencore in this category. "It obviously put a lot of time and effort into its entry," said one.
Another added: "It has actually got the endorsement from customers, providing evidence that they have done the business." One judge said: "It has delivered against its key performance indicators on a wider basis than other entrants."
Shortlisted: Greencore Grocery, HJ Heinz and Veetee Food
Chilled Ready Meals & Prepared Food Sponsored by jarvis johnson
Winner: Greencore Chilled Sauces and Soups
This company wowed the judges with its variety of achievements. The processor demonstrated particular commitment in the field of category management, undertaking in-depth customer research for Asda and Sainsbury in a campaign to boost sales for both retailers.
Judges were particularly impressed by the way in which its work on lean manufacturing initiatives had been personalised to flag up the efforts of employees. One singled out its "continued growth over the past three years" and its health and safety initiatives.
Having grown from its Italian heritage as R & B Foods, established more than 30 years ago, Greencore Chilled Sauces and Soups was originally a producer of chilled Italian sauces. But it has extended its range to include chilled soups, meat and fish sauces and gravies.
The company's brands include a range of healthy sauces produced under licence from Weight Watchers and soups containing only basic natural ingredients called 'Nothing But ...'. The company's team of product developers are continually refreshing recipes, while its development chef creates exciting new varieties to excite the taste buds of today's demanding shoppers.
Shortlisted: Greencore Chilled Sauces & Soups, Greencore Sandwiches, Mash Direct and TSC Foods
Meat, Poultry & Seafood Sponsored by: Air Products
Winner: Lossie Seafoods
A winner in last year's Seafood category, its achievement this year makes it two in a row for Lossie. The company has proved to be a real ambassador for Scotland, making artisan smoked Scottish salmon products from sustainable sources mainly for export.
Something of a trailblazer, it has been first to market in this sector in some countries. Sales soared by 36% in the past full year and net profit more than tripled in 2007-2008 compared to the previous 12 months - enough to make any business green with envy. Speaking of being 'green', the firm, headquartered in Buckie, Banffshire, recently saved 50-70% on logistics, water usage, waste water, fish waste and disposal costs. "Lossie has a dedicated workforce and its accreditation by [the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] Freedom Food [farm assurance and labelling scheme] was an unusual move for a seafood business," said one judge.
Shortlisted: Big Prawn Company, Green Gourmet and Lossie Seafoods
Fresh Produce Sponsored by: Solarsoft
Winner: Stubbins Marketing
Based in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, Stubbins Marketing, which supplies fresh salads for the UK's supermarkets, is targeting £80M in sales this year. New business with Spar UK and Costco has helped propel it towards that objective, as has a co-ordinated customer marketing campaign involving focus groups and sampling panels.
Relentless pursuit of new vegetable varieties and firm commitment to creative solutions, most recently including an automatic cucumber and celery cutter and advanced tomato packing kit, look set to pay further dividends.
And supplementing its electricity through a combined heat and power (CHP) system, together with its efforts to cut road miles by maximising vehicle loads augmented its 'green' reputation. The company was praised for its eco-friendly work installing a CHP system and maximising vehicle loading.
"I definitely saw leading edge work in terms of process development," was how one judge put it, while others commented on how far the firm had moved on over the past year.
More than one judge was particularly impressed by its work in the local community in the form of schemes such as its school visits campaign.
Shortlisted: Southern Salads and Stubbins Marketing
Dairy Sponsored by: Maxsys
Winner: Kerrygold
With its headquarters in Leek, Staffordshire, The Kerrygold Company supplies more than 80 countries. One of the largest cheesepackers serving the major UK retailers, it has also become an established household name in butter manufacturing.
Some of its energies were recently poured into a fearsome category management programme for the launch of its Tesco's Healthy Living Grated Mozzarella. The product generated an impressive £500,000 of sales in its first year on the market.
Kerrygold's eco-friendly credentials have shone through in its initiatives to slash pack weights and food waste through innovations in recyclable sliced cheese packaging.
In addition to this, the dairy processor has proved its unswerving commitment to process innovation by organising focused innovation days with its packing machine supplier.
That said, overall, the firm made the best impression on the judges for its health and safety and category management initiatives and business improvements.
"This was a strong submission on quality assurance - a 47% reduction of issues over 18 months and a 15% reduction in accidents," said one judge.
Shortlisted: First Milk Cheese Company, Kerrygold and Yeo Valley Organic
Judges' Special Award Sponsored by: Pursuit Dynamics
Whereas the category awards reward excellence across a range of criteria, to scoop the Judges' Special Award companies usually demonstrate outstanding achievement in one particular sphere. The hall of fame of previous winners can single out exceptional performers of the future and contains real household names, underlining the high standard required to make the grade.
Winner: Premier Foods
This goliath is a real brand powerhouse, making everything from Hovis bread to Branston pickle, and in 2007 clocked up a trading profit of £303.7M from £2.6bn in annualised sales.
More than 99% of UK households are estimated to stock at least one of its products in their larders and its top 10 brands alone chalked up sales of £1.2bn in the past full year.
Premier was singled out by the judges for its environmental initiatives at its Carlton bakery site in Barnsley, Yorkshire, where it saved £276,000 in energy costs alone last year.
The scheme was part of a package of eco-friendly projects, dubbed the Energy Champions programme, which resulted in a 17% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, the Carlton factory is on track to recycle 100% of its waste by 2010. One judge described it as sending out "a great message to the industry"
Small Company of The Year Sponsored by: Invest in Bradford
Food Manufacture's Small Company of the Year award was introduced for the first time last year to give the smaller enterprises that dare to dream large dreams the glory they justly deserve. Daily struggling with scant resources and limited staff numbers, they can demonstrate real heroics. Contenders are drawn from the shortlisted companies in every category.
Winner: Mash Direct
A shining model of innovation, Mash Direct began life just five years ago in County Down, Northern Ireland. With its foundations in arable farming, it has diversified into making a range of all-natural, quick-serve mashed root vegetable, potato and cabbage products for microwave and oven cooking. In its own words, it has gone from saucepans on the farm Aga to a business turning over £3.1M, employing 44 people.
It supplies all four main supermarkets in Ireland and has clinched listings with Spar and Booths Supermarkets. It is adapting swiftly to growth, increasing automation, yet slashing consumption by 15%. "The business has greatly improved [in the past year] and I am impressed by its development," said one judge.
Frozen Foods Sponsored by: Lockton
Winner: Greencore Frozen Foods
Greencore Frozen Foods is one of the UK's largest suppliers of branded and customer label frozen Yorkshire puddings, toad in the hole, filled Yorkshire puddings and frozen hot-eating desserts. The company supplies most of the major grocery retail multiples, major frozen food wholesalers and multiple caterers, travel and high street chains and pub/ leisure companies from its three west Yorkshire sites.
The current business was founded in 1998 after the amalgamation of Roberts Yorkshire Kitchens and Nordale Foods, both of which had been involved in food manufacturing for more than 10 years. The combined company, Roberts Food Group, was acquired by Greencore in 2000 and generates annual sales of £44M. Its Pudz desserts alone contributed to overall frozen food sales, raking in £2.7M in sales in their first year, backed by a sampling campaign aimed at a million consumers.
Greencore Frozen Foods showcased significant progress in lean manufacturing through real-time online monitoring. It was also congratulated by the judges for halving packaging weight by investing in vertical form, fill and seal equipment in the past year.
Shortlisted: Greencore Frozen Foods and HJ Heinz
Bakery & Confectionery Sponsored by: DKSH
Winner: Peter's Food Service
Peter's sprang from humble beginnings as a small pie maker known as Thomas Pies in Merthyr Tidfyl, south Wales, in the 1950s, changing its name to Peter's in 1976.
Customers include everyone from major supermarkets and sports stadia to fish and chip shops.
Making more than 30M pies, pasties and sausage rolls per week, the business underwent a £20M management buyout (MBO) in October 2007 under the leadership of Mike Grimwood, a former Northern Foods executive. It emerged to nail enviable accounts, including a multi-million pound contract with Asda, which delivered 30 new jobs and £650,000 worth of investment.
The firm swung the judges' votes in its favour, having forged impressive cross-category alliances to take new product development into fresh areas. That includes one of its latest innovations, a steak and ale pie forged out of a joint venture with Fuller's brewery.
One judge said: "I personally think it has done an amazing job. It's a great turnaround success story." Another added: "Peter's Food Service is an excellent example of a loss-making operation turned into a profit-making organisation. Its application was strong and the Asda contract was a big win."
One also applauded the progress that it had made in working through the MBO, stressing: "An MBO is a brave move in that industry."
Peter's elicited further praise from the judges for its success in cracking down on absenteeism.
Shortlisted:
Greencore Cakes & Desserts, Peter's Food Service, Premier Foods and Rich Products
Hot & Cold Beverages Sponsored by: British Soft Drinks Association
Winner: Aimia Foods
Aimia, which was previously known as Nichols Foods until it returned to private ownership in 2004, supplies hot and cold drinks, plus sauces, preserves and condiments to vending and foodservice customers.
The company shrewdly anticipated changes to school nutrition standards last year, creating its healthy, dilutable Freshers Juicebreak dispenser in just three months. This coincided with the launch of two other healthy drinks, Milfresh Superior Granulated Skimmed Milk and Milfresh Amour de Chocolat.
In the past three years the business has reinvested 65% of its pre-tax profits to generate long-term stability and now claims to have boosted its annual turnover to more than £50M.
Located in Haydock, Merseyside, Aimia Foods was described as "a worthy winner" by the judges, with its human resources work deserving special mention. In particular, its efforts to improve retention and dramatically reduce absenteeism, drew warm congratulations.
"It is very focused on staff retention, while its absence levels are below 3%," said one judge.
The judges' comments reflect the company's stated claim from its website that "we are proud of our products, our initiatives and more than anything our people"
Shortlisted:
Aimia Foods, Framptons
Productivity Through Skills Sponsored by: Improve
Winner: Greencore Group
The 'Lean Greencore' programme and its Leadership Academy have been the core staff development initiatives for this leading international manufacturer of convenience foods and ingredients, which employs more than 8,000 people.
To date well over 1,000 leaders and potential leaders have attended the Academy and lean programmes exist on all 18 manufacturing sites, supporting the firm's lowest cost and continuous improvement aims.
The schemes have delivered euro 15M of bottom line benefits, slashed unit labour costs by more than 10%, improved labour turnover by 50% and eliminated more than £500,000 of external consultancy costs.
One judge recommended Greencore for the award for its "clear objective to increase productivity through investment in skills". Others commended it for "excellent presentation of improvements made to date" and its "clear identification of key issues and focus on front line leadership"
Shortlisted: Fosters Bakery (Staincross) and Greencore Group
Diversity in Recruitment Sponsored by: Local Employment Partnerships
Winner: Gibsons Foods
Fresh sandwich and chilled food manufacturer Gibsons Foods' Ellesmere Port headquarters lies in a multicultural area of high unemployment and low skills with a significant disabled population. But it sees this as an opportunity, not a hindrance.
Gibsons Foods avidly promotes the New Deal scheme, encouraging the long-term unemployed back to work, and the Work Trial scheme, allowing unemployed people to try a job for two weeks without losing benefits. It works with the Shaw Trust to employ and support disabled people, almost half of its workforce are non-UK citizens and it strives to support young and old alike.
For example, more than 20% of the company's employees are aged 50 or over and the firm has nurtured one 20 year-old who joined at 16 through to the role of production supervisor.
In the words of one judge: "Gibsons demonstrates some very nice examples of diversity of recruitment, giving a human face to positive policies."
Shortlisted: Gibsons Foods and Greencore Prepared Meals
Apprenticeships Sponsored by: Improve
Winner: Natalie Natalie Scott, Premier Foods
Natalie is a senior operative at Premier Foods, Methwold, managing a frozen food production line of 10 people.
"This is a difficult line to master," says her manager. "However, Natalie constantly delivers the production levels required."
Natalie began her City and Guilds apprenticeship in Food and Drink Manufacturing Operations with Poultec Training in September last year.
Having grown substantially in confidence since then, her line manager claims she is able to deal more adeptly with future events and is now willing to take on more responsibility.
In addition, she has been commended for developing a greater grasp of legislation and has enrolled in a team leading course.
Premier Foods was recommended by the judges for its "timely completion of the apprenticeship framework" and the "clear benefits for the individual and company in achieving the apprenticeship"
One judge said Natalie's solid progression was demonstrated by her rise to the Level 3 qualification in team leadership, adding: "The apprentice's role in a company is key in making a difference."
Shortlisted: Jonathan Shakespeare from KK Fine Foods and Natalie Scott from Premier Foods
