Printing innovation brings company new clients

Glenn Savage, origination manager, and managing director Andrew Foster

A company specialising in producing and printing flexible packaging materials for the food and drink industry is on the verge of signing some big name clients thanks to support from the Food and Drink iNet

Primopost, based in Buxton in Derbyshire, has received an award from the Food and Drink iNet so it can improve the print quality produced from its flexographic machinery. Primopost’s customer-base of blue chip end-users, such as United Biscuits and Northern Foods, have been impressed with the improvements in quality Primopost has made which has been rewarded by additional contracts and interest.

The iNet provided innovation advice and guidance worth £10,000. Primopost will now match this with its own funding. It is the second iNet award for Primopost, which earlier this year was given £5,000 worth of support in connection with the same project.

Andrew Foster, managing director of the company which employs 92 people, said the support was essential to enable the improvements to be made. “Without the award from the Food and Drink iNet this project would have been extremely difficult to get off the ground. We really appreciate the support we have been given from everyone.”

Primopost, set up in 1987, specialises in producing flexible packaging material for the food and drink industry. It offers flexographic print, lamination and surface coatings on all materials coming into contact with food.

Using flexography is more cost-effective for a client than the more expensive method of printing using gravure, but historically the print is of a lesser quality. The project now being undertaken by Primopost, with iNet support, will improve the quality of flexography printing, by bringing it closer to gravure standards but without losing the low-cost benefits.

“By improving the print quality of our printing machines we can compete with those using the gravure process but our lower cost means we are more attractive to customers,” said Andrew. “Our process will be particularly attractive to a client wanting smaller volumes produced.”

Andrew estimated that the improved printing process would enable Primopost to increase its turnover by around 20%.

Andrew Butterwick, Food and Drink iNet director, said: “We were very impressed by Primopost’s project. This innovation will enable them to compete with bigger players and at the same time still offer a cost-effective printing solution for the food and drink sector.”

The iNet helps food and drink firms engage expertise from academia, research institutions and specialist business advice for innovation projects to develop new ideas, new products, new processes and to help companies grow.  50% of the equivalent cash value of the support must be contributed by the company.

Funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Food and Drink iNet co-ordinates innovation support for businesses, universities and individuals working in the food and drink sector in the East Midlands. One of four regional iNets, it has developed an effective network to link academic and private sector expertise and knowledge with local food and drink business innovation needs.

The Food and Drink iNet also aims to build on the tradition of innovation in the food and drink industry in the region by helping to create opportunities to develop knowledge and skills, and to help research, develop and implement new products, markets, services and processes. It is managed by a consortium, led by the Food & Drink Forum and including Food Processing Faraday, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Nottingham. It is based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, with advisors covering the East Midlands region.

For more information visit www.eminnovation.org.uk/food

Trade organisation helps pickle producer to secure supermarket listing

Quirky pickles, preserves and chutney producer The Pickled Village won an order to supply to Waitrose after exhibiting under the East Midlands Fine Foods banner at a specialist fine food trade show.

The company, based at Bulwick, near Corby, caught the eye of buyers from the retail group at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair in London, having joined the stand run by East Midlands Fine Foods.

Weeks later, a number of products from The Pickled Village range were on the shelves of four branches of Waitrose in Oadby, Lutterworth, Stamford and Peterborough - with plans to roll out further products in stores regionally and nationally.

The order was the company’s first with a major multiple, and came less than a year after The Pickled Village founder Camille Ortega McLean expanded by taking on people to help her with production.

“Small companies just could not afford to go to shows like Speciality & Fine Food Fair on their own, and that’s where the major buyers go, so we were very grateful for the opportunity to showcase The Pickled Village on the East Midlands Fine Foods stand,” said Camille.

As a result of the order, the firm is considering increasing capacity by introducing a second shift.

“We produce 400 jars a day now, but we can increase to 900 a day by going in two shifts,” explained Camille.

Briony Clarke, operations manager at business support organisation The Food and Drink Forum, which runs East Midlands Fine Foods, said: “The aim of East Midlands Fine Foods is to support speciality food and drink producers, and we are delighted to hear about the order won by The Pickled Village after the firm exhibited under our banner at such an important trade fair.

“Our expertise can help producers to make the most of exhibiting at trade and consumer events.”  

The Pickled Village, which now employs six people, specialises in producing quirkily-named takes on traditional pickles, preserves, chutneys, relishes and marmalades.

Among the products listed by Waitrose are The Red Rapscallion (red onion marmalade with redcurrants and chillis), The Earth and Fire (a beetroot chutney with horseradish and chillis), The Traditional Piccalilli (chunky and crunchy), The Indulgent One (Strawberry preserve), The Bourbon Blues (a blueberry conserve with a splash of Bourbon) and The Undecided Breakfast (three different flavours of marmalade layered in one jar - for those who cannot make up their minds).

“We have many local customers and they are just as important as Waitrose, but this order is good news for the company,” said Camille.

“East Midlands Fine Foods was the key to us gaining it, as without their help we probably wouldn’t have been at the trade show and the Waitrose buyers wouldn’t have spotted us.”

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www.eastmidlandsfinefoods.co.uk

www.thepickledvillage.co.uk

Bumper Regional and Speciality Food and Drink Market in Nottingham for December 2010

Fans of Nottingham’s Regional and Speciality Food and Drink Market are in for a festive treat this month with an extra three days of trading.

The market will run as usual on the third Friday and Saturday of the month on December 17^th and 18^th, but will be extended to Sunday 19^th, Monday 20^th and Tuesday 21^st December to give shoppers extra time to buy festive food and foodie gifts from regional producers and suppliers.

The market, organised by East Midlands Fine Foods in conjunction with Nottingham City Council, has been running monthly in the Old Market Square since April 2007.

Stalls sell a wide range of quality regional products including cheese, pickles, meat, fishcakes, beer, game, fudge, cakes, vegetables, sweet and savoury pies, jam and even dog biscuits.

“The Regional and Speciality Food and Drink Market is a great place to stock up on Christmas essentials and luxuries, as well as a good place to source items for gift hampers and presents,” said Jo Taylor, of East Midlands Fine Foods. “At the same time, it’s supporting producers and suppliers across the East Midlands, and helping the local economy. A lot of shoppers like to shop locally at Christmas, and this is the perfect opportunity to do just that.”

This month the market will temporarily relocate to the area in the Old Market Square at the bottom of King Street and alongside the fountains as part of the on-going Christmas festivities in the square.

Some 17 stalls will be in place for the first two days of the market, with 11 of them spending five days at the event.

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New IT for commercial laundry paves way for 24/7 customer service

 

A commercial laundry which cleans workwear for companies throughout the East Midlands, serving the food and drink industry, is taking a major leap forward in customer service with the introduction of an innovative IT project.

Derbyshire-based Giltbrook Cleaners is able to bring in the new technology thanks to a support package from the Food and Drink iNet, worth nearly £5,500. The company will match this with its own funding, valuing the project at nearly £11,000.

The new IT will create a customer portal on the Giltbook company website, at http://www.giltbrookworkwear.co.uk/. This discreet area of the site will enable clients to log in and track their garments in real time.

Chris Jackson, CEO at the Ilkeston-based laundry, said the new customer relationship management system represented a huge leap in customer service.

“Many of our clients are in the food and drink sector, often accredited with the likes of BRC (British Retail Consortium) regulations, so they have to show due diligence in all areas, including that of cleaning their workforce’s garments,” he said. “Our new system means that at a moment’s notice they can check what stage any garment is at and gather all the necessary information.”

Mr Jackson said the customer portal would also be of use to those working out of hours. “For example, there may be a hygiene manager running a number of sites who is on a nightshift, who wants to track down and check up on the cleaning process. We are not here 24 hours a day but, thanks to the customer portal, the information will be.”

He added that the system would enable clients to set targets and, crucially, would show up any discrepancies. “As with many systems, it will be particularly good at showing anomalies. For example, if work garments haven’t been sent to us for cleaning and should have been, this information and evidence will be on hand.”

The new customer portal is currently being developed and is due to go live in February. Mr Jackson said the Food and Drink iNet award had made the project possible. “Without the financial award it would have been a far lesser project. Moreover, the support and advice we have had from the iNet has been absolutely crucial.”

Giltbrook Cleaners is a family-run business, which has been operating for more than 60 years and employs 45 people. Its clients include a number of companies from the East Midland Food and Drink Forum, who in turn supply big name food retailers, such as Tesco.

“We know this new customer portal is something our clients will welcome. All this information has always been available to them, but this way it will be there 24/7 in the format they require,” he added.

Andrew Butterwick, Food and Drink iNet director, said: “This IT project represents a big move forward in customer relations which I hope will make Giltbrook Cleaners an even more attractive proposition for potential new clients. As a company that has been running for more than 60 years, the firm recognises the importance of innovation which is what the Food and Drink iNet is all about.”

The iNet helps food and drink firms engage expertise from academia, research institutions and specialist business advice for innovation projects to develop new ideas, new products, new processes and to help companies grow.  50% of the equivalent cash value of the support must be contributed by the company.

Funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Food and Drink iNet co-ordinates innovation support for businesses, universities and individuals working in the food and drink sector in the East Midlands. One of four regional iNets, it has developed an effective network to link academic and private sector expertise and knowledge with local food and drink business innovation needs.

The Food and Drink iNet also aims to build on the tradition of innovation in the food and drink industry in the region by helping to create opportunities to develop knowledge and skills, and to help research, develop and implement new products, markets, services and processes. It is managed by a consortium, led by the Food & Drink Forum and including Food Processing Faraday, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Nottingham. It is based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, with advisors covering the East Midlands region.

For more information visit www.eminnovation.org.uk/food

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Spice up Christmas and New Year festivities with Anila’s curry sauces and accompaniments

Liven up festive catering, make the best of Christmas leftovers and always be prepared for unexpected dinner guests by stocking up on store cupboard essentials from the Anila’s curry sauce and accompaniments range.

Anila’s Authentic Sauces can help take the heat out of Christmas culinary stress. The versatile jars of curry sauce are perfect for whipping up quick and easy dishes on Boxing Day or adding a spicy twist to party dips.

The chutneys, pickles and dips are a tasty addition to a Christmas or New Year buffet, and will brighten up any cold meat or cheese selections.

“Christmas and New Year catering can be quite stressful, but the secret is in the planning,” explains Anila Vaghela, who founded the family-run business of Anila’s Authentic Sauces in 1997.

“Being well prepared with a range of tasty store cupboard essentials is one way of making things easier, and it will also ensure that you’re never short of ideas. Anila’s curry sauces and accompaniments are very versatile, and can play a great role in a wide range of different meals and snacks during the festive period when food and drink tend to be a focus.”

Anila’s curry sauces are the ideal store cupboard essential to stock up on before the festive season, as they’re suitable for vegetarians and vegans, as well as being sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free. They also don’t contain onions or garlic.

So they are perfect for anyone with specific allergies or intolerances, and just the product for hosts who could find themselves catering for unexpected, or expected, guests with differing dietary needs!

Anila’s has a range of eight curry sauces, based on traditional Indian recipes. They have won 11 Great Taste Awards, and last year Anila’s Spicy Korma Curry Sauce scooped a Free From Food Award.

Anila suggests using one of her sauces not just as the base of a tasty Boxing Day curry, but as a quick and easy party dip by adding a dollop of curry sauce to crème fraiche, yoghurt or mayonnaise.

Anila’s distinctive and delicious range of 16 different mouth-watering ‘handmade’ chutneys, pickles and dips are made with single fruits and vegetables, and team up perfectly with a variety of dishes, snacks, meats and cheeses. They’re a great addition to light buffets and salads during the festive season.

Based in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, Anila’s also has a unit in West London.

Anila’s products are available from www.anilassauces.com or at the 28 farmers’ markets across the south listed on the website, as well as in John Lewis Oxford Street and John Lewis Bluewater. They are also sold in top quality gourmet stores, such as Harrods, plus hundreds of other outlets, including Wholefoods, Planet Organic, delis, health food stores, garden centres and gift shops.

For more information visit http://www.anilassauces.com/

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Cherizena Coffee has a tempting gift range for Christmas

Coffee specialist Cherizena has a range of coffee-based gifts for the festive season.

The products have been designed to suit all budgets, costing between £2.50 and £20, and are the perfect present for coffee lovers everywhere.

The range includes delightful pillow packs of chocolate-coated coffee beans and premium selection boxes.

Each gift comes in an attractive pack and is available by mail order direct from http://www.cherizena.co.uk/

Cherizena’s Christmas range features:

• The Christmas Treat – a gold pillow pack, tied with ribbon, containing 60g of ground Pure Colombian Medium Roast and 60g of Cherizena’s ground Christmas Coffee priced at £4.50.

• The Premium Selection Pack – a gold box with a clear lid and bow fastening, containing 60g of Cherizena’s ground Christmas Coffee, 60g of ground Melton Mowbray Blend, 60g of ground Espresso Blend, 60g of ground Blue Mountain Blend, and a gold gift box containing 50g of chocolate-coated coffee beans priced at £8.50.

• The Cuban Christmas Pack – a black-based box with clear lid and bow fastening, containing 75g each of speciality Cuban coffees Turquino Montanes and Cubita, Christmas coffee and a gold gift box containing 50g of chocolate-coated coffee beans priced at £12.50.

• Chocolate-Coated Coffee Beans – a gold pillow pack with ribbon trim containing 50g of milk, dark and white chocolate-coated coffee beans priced at £2.50.

• Cafetiere and Coffee Gift Set – a stylish gift set featuring a 350ml cafetiere, a measuring scoop, a clip to fasten an opened pack to keep the contents fresh, and 125g each of Cherizena’s Christmas Coffee and a premium Breakfast Blend priced at £20.

All packaging in the Christmas gift range is recyclable.

Cherizena’s limited edition Christmas Coffee, which features in some of the gift packs, has been created by flavouring the Colombian Excelsior medium bean with a delicious combination of Jamaican rum, toasted pecan nuts, warming nutmeg, cinnamon spices and a hint of orange.

With an aroma reminiscent of Christmas pudding, the Cherizena Christmas Coffee is available in individual packs, as well as part of seasonal gift sets.

Offering up to 30 single origin coffees and blends, and 20 different flavoured varieties, Leicestershire-based Cherizena is a leading UK specialist producer of coffee, and sources premium, rare and speciality coffees, as well as creating its own range of superb flavoured coffees.

For details call 01664 820111 or visit http://www.cherizena.co.uk/. Post and packing costs from £2.

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Sherwood Truck & Van Ltd X-cited by the X Factor

Commercial vehicle group Sherwood Truck & Van Ltd is getting behind One Direction’s bid to win the X Factor with a huge banner declaring support for the boy band.

Band member Louis Tomlinson, 18, is the son of Mark Tomlinson – a van salesman for Sherwood Truck & Van.

As the TV talent show heads towards the final, and with the band one of the favourites, Sherwood has thrown its support behind the lads.

Meanwhile, Mark has become a very popular member of staff….with colleagues hoping he can get autographs of Louis and his band mates, as well as the other contestants.

“I’ve become a bit of a local celebrity myself among my workmates,” he laughs. “There’s lots of talk about X Factor, and everybody wants me to tell them a story about what’s happening behind the scenes. There’s always some little bit of gossip that I can bring back.

“I am chief autograph hunter at the moment. I have got dozens and dozens.”

Mark, who has worked at Sherwood for the past six months, said even workmates who previously hadn’t been watching the show were now fans.

“They really enjoy watching it,” he says. “It’s really interesting when you know someone in it.”

Sherwood Truck & Van Ltd has placed the banner outside its Sheffield branch in Highfield Lane in support of One Direction, where it is already generating quite a bit of interest from passers by.

Helen Waterfall, Sherwood Truck & Van’s managing director, said: “We’re really excited for Louis and his family, and we wanted to show that we’re all rooting for One Direction to go all the way in the X Factor.”

Mark and Louis’ mum Johannah, of Bessacarr, Doncaster, have watched their son perform as part of the boy band every week – and Mark admits that as the weeks go by it is becoming more and more nerve-wracking.

“It’s one of those things you wouldn’t miss for the world,” says Mark. “We have been every week. It’s getting progressively more nerve-wracking. We think they have got a really good chance. We have been keeping an eye on what the bookies say and the lads have consistently been up there in the top three.”

Sherwood Truck & Van, which is based at Blackwell, near Alfreton, Derbyshire, and as well as the branch at Sheffield, also has branches at Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, and at Lenton, Nottingham, is a leading supplier of new and used commercial vehicles, established in 1978. The company also maintains, services and repairs commercial vehicles across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and most of Cheshire.

It is now best known as a dealership for Iveco trucks and vans – the second largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles in Europe. The firm is also an Isuzu Truck dealer at Sheffield - providing vehicle sales, parts sales and vehicle repairs and servicing.

Sherwood prides itself on its service pedigree with a stock holding of more than 15,000 lines, a fully equipped accident repair centre and 24-hour roadside support.

http://www.sherwoodtruckandvan.com/

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Christmas festivities at Croots Farm Shop & Kitchen

Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire is giving customers a festive gift with a 10% off shopping day on Thursday 16th December.

The discount will apply to everything on sale in the shop at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, near Duffield, for one day only.

“We’d like to reward our loyal customers by giving them the opportunity to take advantage of our 10% off promotion on Thursday 16th December,” said Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop. “It’s our Christmas present to them!”

Croots is raising money for local children’s charity Treats through the sale of Christmas trees this year by donating £1 for every tree sold to the charity, which is its nominated good cause for the year.

The fir trees are grown locally and fit in with Croots’ policy of selling local and regional produce where possible.

As part of its festive selection, Croots is also creating a range of Christmas sausages, featuring mulled wine sausages and fig-flavoured sausages.

The store at is also adding a seasonal twist to its own-brand farmyard range of beers, with a Rudolph ale – a dark ale brewed by Nutbrook Brewery.

Croots is currently taking orders for turkeys and other Christmas meats, and has a wide range of festive fare on sale, including chocolates.

Croots is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm and on Sundays from 10am to 4pm. The 10% off day runs from 9am to 5pm on Thursday 16th December.

Visit http://www.croots.co.uk/ for more information.

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Best Vegan Product for Anila’s Goan Green Curry Sauce in The Veggie Awards 2011

Anila’s Authentic Sauces has scooped another top accolade for its popular Goan Green Curry Sauce by being named as the Best Vegan Product in The Veggie Awards 2011.

The prize-winning product, which also won a two star Gold Great Taste Award in July 2010, was announced as the winner of the vegan category in the awards run by Cook Vegetarian! magazine.

The magazine said: “Not only one of the best vegan curry sauces we’ve ever tried but one of the best curry sauces available. Its complexity of flavours makes its taste truly sensational.”

The news has delighted Anila’s founder Anila Vaghela, who said: “The Goan Green Curry Sauce is one of our most popular sauces and really is something very special. To win a two star gold Great Taste Award and the Best Vegan Product Award in the space of a few months shows that vegan food can be both tasty and delicious.

“We are thrilled to bits to learn that the judges loved our Goan Green as much as our customers do, and are very proud to win an accolade in the Veggie Awards 2011. It’s a very versatile curry sauce, because as well as being suitable for vegetarians and vegans, it’s also dairy free, gluten free and has no added sugar.”

Anila’s has won 11 Great Taste Awards from the Guild of Fine Food for its range of premium curry sauces, chutneys, pickles and dips. To win a two star award in the summer, up to 20 judges unanimously agreed that the Goan Green Curry Sauce had achieved ‘absolute perfection’. Anila’s Spicy Korma Curry Sauce also scooped a Free From Food Award in 2009.

Made with mint, coriander, spinach and coconut, Anila’s Goan Green Curry Sauce is sold in a range of speciality retailers, delis and farm shops, including Harrods and John Lewis Food Halls at Oxford Street and Bluewater.

It is one of eight premium curry sauces, handmade in small batches, by Anila’s, which was founded in 1997 by Anila Vaghela. The firm also produces a range of 16 chutneys, pickles and dips made with single fruits and vegetables.

The Veggie Awards celebrate flavour, versatility and innovation in the world of meat-free foods, and were being held for the second year.

Cook Vegetarian! deputy editor Fae Gilfillan said: “Once again, food companies came up trumps with their entries for this year’s Veggies proving that vegetarianism is simply not a boring or restrictive diet. We had great fun selecting the winners but with more and more products nominated every year, crowning our winners doesn’t get any easier!”

Anila’s Authentic Sauces is based in Walton-on-Thames with a unit in Hounslow, and is run by Anila and her husband Dan.

Anila’s cooking has always been popular with friends and family, and in the early 1990s she began selling jars of curry sauce on a very small scale in her local community in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. She sold all 80 jars at her first fair at Weybridge in 1992. Phone calls from very satisfied customers followed, and Anila began fulfilling small orders.

In 1997 she was made redundant from a job as a PA and decided to seize the opportunity to form her own company to develop Anila’s Authentic Sauces.

She carried out extensive research, took expert business advice, and felt there was a gap in the market for high-quality, premium curry sauces. She soon gained a listing in the food hall of her local department store, and before long Anila’s curry sauces were on the shelves of a range of health stores, delicatessens and independent specialist shops.

Anila outgrew her kitchen at home and moved to a catering kitchen in Surbiton in 2002. A year later the business needed larger premises once more, and Anila’s re-located to a 1400 sq ft unit in Hounslow. In 2006, husband Dan also joined the team.

Anila’s products are now sold at John Lewis Oxford Street and John Lewis Bluewater, and top quality gourmet stores, such as Harrods, Wholefoods and Planet Organic, plus hundreds of other outlets that include health food stores, garden centres and gift shops, as well as smaller independent stores such as Budgens at Ascot, Shepperton and Crouch End. Anila’s also sells direct to the public at 28 farmers’ markets across Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, including Guildford, Walton, Windsor, Maidenhead, Ascot, Cobham, Beaconsfield and Farnham, and online via www.anilassauces.com

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Give the gift of language learning this Christmas with vouchers from Nottingham Language Academy

Nottingham Language Academy has created the ideal Christmas present for anyone who’s ever fancied French or sought to learn Spanish – gift vouchers for its courses.

The language school, which is based at The Ropewalk in the city, offers modern language classes in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Greek and Japanese, as well as English as a foreign language.

Now the academy is offering the perfect present for anyone who’s keen to brush up on their language skills or wants to learn something completely different in the New Year.

“It can sometimes be difficult to know what to buy a friend or relative for Christmas,” explains Linda Walker, from Nottingham Language Academy. “Our gift vouchers can be redeemed against the full or partial cost of any of our courses, and we think it would be a great present for someone who fancies learning a language or improving their language skills.”

Launched in September, Nottingham Language Academy runs classes during the day, evenings and at weekends, which are designed for people who want to improve their job prospects, travel and see the world, live and work abroad, gain a place at university or learn something new for the fun of it.

It is staffed by 12 teachers who are all native speakers in the language they teach, and the modern foreign languages courses are linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) which now forms the basis of language teaching and learning in most EU countries.

Nottingham Language Academy is based at 8 The Ropewalk, Nottingham. For more information visit http://www.nottinghamlanguageacademy.co.uk/ or call 0330 333 6192.

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