All news articles for November 2019

The Business Leaders' Forum offers excellent networking opportunities and is held according to Chatham House rules

Business Leaders' Forum to feature exclusive research

By Rod Addy

Food Manufacture's Business Leaders' Forum will feature the results of an exclusive survey of industry bosses on a range of hot topics in the industry, including Brexit and environmental concerns.

Real Good Food reported reduced losses in its latest financial results

Real Good Food shrinks losses

By Gwen Ridler

Speciality bakery ingredients manufacturer Real Good Food (RGF) has posted reduced losses in its latest interim results, helped by refinancing deals it secured earlier this year.

Falfish's systems enable it to trace customers' products back to catches made by individual boats, managing fluctuating stocks

Second of a two-part interview on take-up of software and automated processes

Half of food firms operate paper-based planning processes

By Rod Addy

Half of all food firms have processes that include significant paper-based planning, with some larger players completely paper-led, according to Rob Stephens, managing director at Systems Integration (SI).

The programme will match the atmosphere of Mars

Belgian firm reveals SpaceBakery sustainable food plan

By Dan Colombini

Belgian bakery firm Puratos is to lead a team of firms to launch the €6.3m-funded (£5.4m) SpaceBakery, which will explore sustainable food production and provide solutions to manufacturing food on Mars.

Swaledale Cheese new directors Bob Bigley, Bengt Odner and Richard Darbishire

Cheese maker saved from liquidation

By Gwen Ridler

Richmond-based cheese maker Swaledale Cheese has been acquired from liquidators by a group of Yorkshire-based entrepreneurs.

The Real Bread Campaign urged Defra to reject a proposed sourdough code of best practice

Campaign group slams sourdough code of practice

By Gwen Ridler

The Real Bread Campaign has claimed that a proposed sourdough code of best practice is likely to confuse consumers, bully smaller producers and legitimise the production of non-genuine sourdough bread.

Each loaf contains around 336 crickets, which are dried, ground, mixed with wheat flour and grains and then baked

Roberts launches UK’s ‘first insect bread’

By Dan Colombini

Roberts Bakery has launched a new limited-edition brand of bread, manufactured using insects, in a nod to the return of jungle-based television programme I’m a Celebrity Get me Out of Here.

The court found Boddy guilty of two charges

Horsemeat scandal abattoir boss hit with new fines

By Dan Colombini

Peter Boddy, owner of the Burnley-based Cross Stone Abattoir, has been hit with fines of more than £7,000 after being prosecuted by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for failing to comply with a horse-related detention notice.​

Poor weather conditions threaten the supply of potatoes in the UK

Crisp production threatened by poor potato harvest

By Gwen Ridler

Manufacturers of crisps and frozen chips are at risk of losing access to vital raw materials, after wet weather prohibited the harvest of potatoes destined for food processors.

Waitrose is to source all it lamb from British producers by 2021

Waitrose to source 100% British lamb

By Gwen Ridler

Upmarket retailer Waitrose has pledged to source 100% of its own-label fresh and frozen lamb from British producers all year round.

Darlington Borough Council is investigating more than 20 crates of dumped meat and chicken carcases

Dumped chicken carcases spark investigation

By Gwen Ridler

An investigation into illegally dumped meat has been launched by Darlington Borough Council, after more than 20 crates of putrid, decomposing chicken carcases and other waste meat were discovered on the outskirts of the district.

BFF chairman Nigel Broadhurst called for a swift end to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, whatever the outcome of the general election

Frozen food body calls for end to Brexit ‘black cloud’

By Dan Colombini

The British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) has called for a quick solution to the “black cloud” of Brexit uncertainty, which is impacting the work the industry has achieved in reducing its carbon footprint and other key areas.

The new Diversity in Food and Grocery report drew on data captured from over 200 companies

Food firms lagging on workplace diversity

By Dan Colombini


Food and drink firms have remained “behind the curve” on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, despite recent improvements across the industry, according to a new report.

Does the future of bakery lie in automation, or are we limited to the scope of today's technology?

Bakery processing feature

Batch control: the rise of automation in bakeries

By Paul Gander

Automating bakery can reduce expenditure on energy and labour, but the trickier decorative elements of the bakery process are beyond the robots... at least for now.

The firm is looking to add to its acquisition of salad supplier Freshtime UK and boost its customer base in the food-to-go sector

Greencore eyeing new UK chilled food acquisitions

By Dan Colombini

Greencore Group expects to make more UK acquisitions in the chilled snacks sector following the success of its takeover of Freshtime UK, after the firm posted a stable performance in its latest financial results.

Managing director and founder of Highland Game Christian Nissen said the firm was working hard to promote the benefits of venison

New deals to spark £2m sales surge at Highland Game

By Dan Colombini

Scottish venison supplier Highland Game is predicting a £2m boost in sales over the next year after securing new deals with recipe box company Gousto and distribution partners Costco, Booker and Brakes.

No other McCain sites are affected by the plans at this stage

McCain announces 230 potential job losses

By Dan Colombini

McCain Foods has announced the possible loss of 230 jobs at its Grantham factory as the firm seeks to streamline production across the UK.

The firm issued its results for the six months ended 30 September 2019, delivering increases in revenue and profit

Cranswick boosted by plant-based and export potential

By Dan Colombini

Meat processor Cranswick is set to deliver further growth as a result of rising export opportunities to Asia in the wake of the African swine fever (ASF) crisis, as well as its recent move into the plant-based sector, according to experts.

Unilever announced two major acquisitions in the past 13 months, as well as scrapping plans to relocate to Rotterdam

Unilever shuts down tea sale rumours

By Rod Addy

Unilever has refuted rumours it is planning to sell off its tea business, including its PG Tips and Lipton brands, shutting down a report by the Daily Telegraph on Saturday.

Firms producing perishable products are increasingly turning to software systems to keep pace with raw material orders

Two-part interview on take-up of software and automated processes

EU exit concerns drive companies towards automation

By Rod Addy

Food firms are being driven to automate ordering and production in response to the effects of the UK Brexit vote, according to Systems Integration (SI).

During the workshops, teachers cooked a number of Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) beef and lamb recipes relevant for all key stages

LMC raises red meat awareness with skills workshop

By Dan Colombini

The Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) has used workshops to boost the skills of around 60 food and nutrition teachers, as well as highlighting the benefits of the region’s beef and lamb.

The union told Food Manufacture that greater protection was required for workers when it came to understanding the pitfalls of takeover activity

Unite urges Government clarity on food M&As

By Dan Colombini

Unite the Union has called for greater public awareness around food business M&A activity after the release of its new report urging the Government to support the UK manufacturing sector.

Smith: ‘Telling people the impact, the ‘I’ of SBI, helps them to understand the why’

Opinion

Engaging in the art of regular feedback

By Darren Smith

Making Business Matter chief meaning officer and founder Darren Smith looks at the power of regular positive feedback in raising worker morale.

Zak Bradford (left) and Andrew Brown (right) discuss the highlights of Vimto Out of Home's apprenticeship programme

Meet the apprentice: Vimto Out of Home

By Gwen Ridler

Vimto Out of Home’s Swindon Centre of Technical Excellence in Wiltshire trains its apprentices to ensure high-quality drinks dispense. Here, senior technical manager Andrew Brown and apprentice Zak Bradford explain the benefits of the scheme.

MDS' rotating system of work placements allow graduates to experience the length and breadth of the food and drink industry

Learning provider

Secondment chances: finding a place in the industry

By Gwen Ridler

Management Development Services’ novel secondment programme means there are no shortage of graduates willing to sign up – but the difficulty of finding placements can throw a spanner in the works, as chair Christine Tacon (pictured) explains.

It is estimated that around one in five people in the UK have low levels of vitamin D

BNF urges greater vitamin D awareness

By Dan Colombini

The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has called for greater awareness of vitamin D deficiency across young people within the UK.

Tim Foster: 'Rather than factories making one specific product, they will have to adapt to making many'

Development hub

Solving NPD challenges through collaboration

By Noli Dinkovski

Professor Tim Foster explains how collaboration between industry and academia can solve some of food manufacturing’s trickier challenges.

Hynes: 'ripe opportunity for R&D'

Plant-based company names product development head

By Rod Addy

British plant-based firm The Meatless Farm Company has appointed Dr Peter Hynes as its new head of research and development (R&D) to build on the company’s innovation in vegan mince, burgers and sausages.

NI beef has everything to gain from the Chinese market, claims LMC

African swine fever creates beef opportunity in China

By Gwen Ridler

The spread of African swine fever (ASF) and a growing number of wealthier consumers have unveiled the “huge potential” of the Chinese market for beef producers in Northern Ireland, according to the Livestock & Meat Commission (LMC).

 Griffiths reinforced the work being done within the Welsh assembly to support the industry

Griffiths urges swift sign-up to Welsh BPS support scheme

By Dan Colombini

Welsh Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs Leslie Griffiths has urged beef producers to move quickly to submit applications for its Basic Payment Support (BPS) Scheme to mitigate the “catastrophic” impacts of Brexit.

Three new Saucy Fish Co frozen fishcakes are launching in Australia

Saucy Fish Co heads down under

By Gwen Ridler

Seafood brand The Saucy Fish Co has expanded its reach into the southern hemisphere with the launch of its frozen fishcake products into Australian supermarket chain Woolworths.

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