It takes imagination and intelligence, passion and perseverance; not to mention outstanding people from a range of disciplines working closely together to ensure success in today's food and drink manufacturing world. Life is tough out there: customers are demanding; consumers are fickle; regulatory and cost burdens seem never ending - and the tabloids never miss a chance to pillory you!
And yet, despite it all, it's still a great business to be in when you're on top of your game. For those companies that continue to remain ahead of the pack, the rewards can be great - both in terms of financial return and job satisfaction.
It is precisely these leading manufacturers and the teams of people behind them that the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards - now in its seventh year - seek to recognise. Now bigger and better than ever before, the awards will be presented at a glittering ceremony, which takes place at The Marriott, Grosvenor Square in London on November 7.
And if you think it's only the big players that have the resources to shine, you'd be wrong. To prove it, this year we've introduced a new award to recognise this fact.
Small Company of the Year will be presented to a food or drink processor - typically one employing fewer than 100 people in total and with a turnover of lower than £10M a year - which has proved to our distinguished panel of judges that it merits such recognition. Excellence isn't about being the biggest or the company with the deepest war chest; it's about continuous improvement and adaptability to change in the fast moving world in which we all now live.
Other new awards categories introduced this year include a Fresh Produce award and one for Personality of the Year. Unlike the other category awards, which are chosen by our panel of judges, the Personality of the Year Award is quite different. It will be selected by an on-line poll of Food Manufacture's readers and will be given to an individual who has made the most significant contribution to the sector over the last year, whether by brokering deals, transforming the fortunes of his or business, or by delivering exceptional results. To have your say, vote on-line now or you'll miss out. Visit the awards web site at the following address: http://www.foodmanufactureexcellenceawards.co.uk
From the individual category winners, the judges will select a company which will receive the ultimate accolade of Food Manufacture Company of the Year - truly the very best of the best. They will also make the Judges' Special Award. This will be presented to the company which, in their opinion, deserves special recognition for one particular area of its activities from the judging criteria. The criteria upon which category winners are selected cover: category management; marketing and new product development; supply chain improvement; quality assurance; health, safety and environmental management; process innovation; and human resources development.
As in previous years, food and drink sector skills council Improve is supporting three additional skills excellence awards. These will be made to food and drink processors that understand that it is people that make companies successful. But hurry, this is your last chance to enter the awards as the deadline for entries is June 29. Download entry forms from http://www.foodmanufactureexcellenceawards.co.uk, call Nicola Chesson on 01293 867629 or email nicola.chesson@william-reed.co.uk
Award categories
Entries are judged within nine manufacturing categories:
- Ambient and General Groceries
- Bakery and Confectionery
- Beverages
- Chilled Ready Meals and Prepared Foods
- Dairy
- Fresh Produce
- Frozen Foods
- Meat and Poultry
- Seafood
Skills Excellence Awards
The three awards in the skills category are:
- Apprenticeships
- Diversity in Recruitment
- Productivity through Skills
COMPANY OF THE YEAR - SPONSOR: FOOD MANUFACTURE
Food Manufacture is proud to sponsor the Company of the Year award. It represents everything we stand for, showcasing the very best of the best from the industry.
The recipient of this accolade is selected from among the individual category winners. Last year's winner was Histogram, which also came top in the beverage awards category.
Commenting on the experience, Norman Lovell, general manager at the company, said: "Since winning the award I have noticed a number of positive changes in the business. The factory has new energy. Our name as well as the juice produced by us is now on everyone's lips."
To enjoy a similar boost to your business, you must apply today. You can't win it if you're not in it!
Previous winners of this illustrious award have included Tryton Foods, Ginsters and Coca-Cola Enterprises.
Judges' special award - Sponsor: Pinsent Masons
Pinsent Masons' Food & Drink Team advises food manufacturers both in the UK and internationally.
As one of the country's leading law firms its experienced lawyers are fully alive to the very specific legal requirements of the food and drink sector.
It advises on all the core legal challenges that affect businesses within the sector, ranging from disposals, acquisitions and joint ventures through to competition, employment, intellectual property and employment issues.
In addition, its specialists have considerable experience advising clients on the highly technical food and drink-specific legal areas such as labelling, food safety, consumer protection, health claims and the environment.
If you would like to find out how Pinsent Masons can work with you to provide legal advice that best protects your business interests and actively adds to the bottom line, contact the company (see below).
Pinsent Masons
Contact: Linda Crow or Sean Elson
Tel: call 0845 300 32 32 Email linda.crow@pinsentmasons.com or sean.elson@pinsentmasons.com.
Website: http://www.pinsentmasons.com
Small company of the year - Sponsor: Sheffield Hallam University
Sheffield Hallam University is one of the UK's most progressive and innovative universities. Strong links with business and industry are central to our approach. With more than 28,000 students and 5,000 staff working across a wide range of disciplines, we've got expertise to share.
We have a wide range of experience and depth of knowledge in the food and drink industry, combining the latest thinking with a real understanding of the fast moving dynamics of the sector.
We work with companies in applying our expertise to their business problems, to help generate workable solutions quickly and efficiently.
Our comprehensive, professional consultancy service is available to businesses of all sizes and in any location and includes:
- Innovative ingredients, products and processes
- Packaging and branding innovation
- Waste management and reduction
- Lifestyle solutions
- Manufacturing and systems improvement
- Management skills training
- Psychology and consumer science
So whether you need the latest research to help you develop an innovative product, professional consultancy to help you tackle a specific business challenge, or a source of highly skilled graduates who are ready to join your team, we can help.
Sheffield Hallam University
Contact: David Johnson, Food Innovation Project Manager
Tel: 0114 225 5000
Email: d.johnson@shu.ac.uk.
Ambient & general groceries - Sponsor: S A Partners
S A Partners is the longest serving 'lean enterprise' consultancy in the UK and has been applying lean principles to its clients' businesses since 1993.
The firm has a no-nonsense approach; plus breadth and depth of experience with consultants and specialists from a variety of industry backgrounds. These ensure it understands its clients' needs.
S A Partners' people are experienced practitioners who live and demonstrate the company's business values, which centre around excellence, simplicity and integrity. They enjoy what they do, while remaining focused on their clients' businesses.
The capabilities the company offers include strategic management, supply chain development, lean enterprise, six sigma, and change management - the complete lean solution.
The company's specialists work as facilitators, coaches and mentors. They use proven techniques that enable their clients to reduce waste and achieve sustainable, profitable growth.
S A Partners has a successful track record in food manufacturing and is delighted to sponsor the Ambient & General Groceries category.
S A Partners
Contact: Carmen Crocker
Tel: 01443 844048
Email: carmen.crocker@sapartners.co.uk
Website: http://www.sapartners.co.uk
Bakery - Sponsor: Christian Salvesen
Christian Salvesen's Temperature Controlled Business Unit (TCBU) is a market leader in frozen food logistics and provider of a range of pre-retail services in the chilled and ambient environment.
Specialising in managing supply chain operations for food manufacturers, importers and retailers, Christian Salvesen's TCBU uses both dedicated and shared-user solutions to provide flexible, cost-effective and value added services for a wide range of high profile customers.
The TCBU operates both internally developed specialist IT applications for warehouse and transport management as well as customer or third-party applications.
One of the company's particular strengths is its ability to integrate its robust systems with its customers' own information systems.
Significant investments are made each year in ensuring that Christian Salvesen remains at the forefront of developments in IT applications in logistics, combining best-of-breed technologies and deep experience to develop innovative solutions that meet customers' precise requirements and expectations.
Reflecting the company's commitment to quality and customer service, Christian Salvesen's Temperature Controlled Business Unit is the only frozen logistics organisation in the UK to have achieved the ISO 9001:2000 quality certification.
As a group Christian Salvesen is a major European business employing some 13,000 staff and operating 200 sites spread across the UK, France, Benelux, Ireland, Portugal and Spain.
Christian Salvesen
Temperature Controlled Business Unit
Tel:: 01476 515000
Fax: 01465 515011
Email: food.logistics@salvesen.com
Website: http://www.salvesen.com
Beverages - sponsor: Food & Drink Expo
Food & Drink World is led by William Reed's flagship event Food & Drink Expo, which attracts more UK visitors than any other food and drink exhibition. The high quality audience from retail, foodservice and the manufacturing sectors adds up to 25,122 visitors*.
On show will be the leading food and drink companies promoting everything from bakery products to ethnic foods and frozen/chilled foods to soft and alcoholic drinks.
Food & Drink Expo is co-located with Foodex Meatex, Convenience Retailing Show, Baking Industry Exhibition (Food and Bake) and International Forecourt and Fuel Equipment Show (IFFE).
This unique mix of shows will enable busy buyers to have a complete view of the market under one roof. Coupled with more content than before this show will create a unmissable experience for everyone involved.
Providing a stimulating environment in which to do business, Food & Drink World 2008 will be the largest and most influential gathering of suppliers and buyers in the food and drink market.
Food and Drink World can truly be seen commercially as a vital exhibition to attend within the European trade show calendar.
Entry to Food & Drink World 2008 is free-of-charge. One ticket gets you into all five shows. For further information please follow the links below.
Convenience Retailing Show (CRS)
International Fuel and Forecourt Exhibition (IFFE)
Foodex Meatex
Food & Drink Expo
Baking Industry Show
Brought to you by:
William Reed Events and Exhibitions
T: +44 (0)1293 613 400
E: foodanddrinkworld@william-reed.co.uk
Chilled ready meals & prepared foods - Sponsor: Jarvis Johnson
Jarvis Johnson is one of the UK's leading interim management and recruitment agencies for the food manufacturing industry. Established in 1999, it has continued to build upon its reputation as an expert in this field.
Thanks to its growing database of over 5,000 interim managers, it will rapidly provide companies with peace of mind. Jarvis Johnson can typically provide a shortlist of fully-screened specialists within 48 hours of confirming a brief.
For candidates, it can help them from day one with advice and guidance on issues such as daily rates, service agreements and of course identifying suitable assignments.
It works with a growing database of over 14,000 candidates with proven track records in the food manufacturing industry and endeavours to apply the same responsive approach it uses when working on an interim assignment to the permanent recruitment process.
Jarvis Johnson treats candidates' details in the strictest confidence, only submitting their CVs to clients after obtaining permission. It will provide candidates with full information on vacancies, including a detailed written brief and will screen candidates fully to give clients supplementary information, emphasising their suitability to a particular role.
Jarvis Johnson
Tel: 01302 760176
Fax: 01302 763010
Email: info@jarvisjohnson.co.uk
Website: http://www.jarvisjohnson.co.uk
Dairy - Sponsor DKSH Great Britain
DKSH is the UK's leading supplier of active natural health ingredients with access to the most innovative high technology products from around the world.
The company's team of specialists within the technical, regulatory, quality and marketing roles have been a key factor in helping its customers and partners in bringing to market some of the UK's best loved active health food products. The ethos that binds all DKSH ingredients together is their natural active health benefits backed up by strong science.
With offices in more than 35 countries and a presence going back decades in markets as diverse as Japan, China, Australia, Chile and the main European countries, it is able to spot new food trends as soon as they emerge, which can enable its customers and partners to take full advantage of new premium trends and technologies.
Areas of expertise include prebiotics, cholesterol-lowering ingredients, blood pressure-lowering ingredients, omega-3s, ingredients for bone and joint health as well as the key plant extracts and cosmeceuticals.
DKSH believes strongly in the appliance of science and the power of creativity. As many of its customers and partners have said: 'We help put the fun into functional!'
DKSH Great Britain
Contact: Kavan Ranasinghe
Tel: 0208 879 5507
Fax: 0208 879 5501
Email: info@dksh.com
Website: http://www.dksh.com
Frozen Food - Sponsor: N R Evans Distribution
N R Evans Distribution is one of the 10 biggest temperature-controlled distribution companies in the UK delivering more than £500,000,000 of chilled product annually. Seven operating centres located throughout the UK provide an efficient national and international distribution network while also offering local support to customers.
Managing director and founder of the business Neil Evans attributes the success of the company to several factors including working closely with customers, understanding customers' businesses and requirements, industry leading service levels, high specification equipment, skilled professional staff and the ability and willingness to continually adapt the business to meet customers requirements and expectations.
Operating centres are often located at or near to customers' premises to provide maximum support combined with fast response times. Each depot is linked by a central transport management system to facilitate efficient, reliable vehicle routing and make the resource of the whole company available to each of the depots and their customers.
As part of a continuous expansion programme, N R Evans are offering new services to the market place including European deliveries, ambient distribution and warehousing.
N R Evans Distribution
Contact: Mike Ellis
Telephone: 01269 842330
Email: mike@nrevans.co.uk
Fresh produce - Sponsor: SSI
SSI supplies Tropos, the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system which many manufacturers and suppliers of food and drink products rely on to help them cut costs, meet delivery times and respond to the demands of major retailers.
Tropos is highly regarded in the industry as a system designed to support the way food production is managed, from order to delivery. Processes, recipe and customer demand drive manufacturing planning and ingredient supplies. Tropos caters for the tight timescales that food manufacturers have to work to. Production planning works to the hour and minute, linking lines, rate-based manufacturing and ingredient supplies to maximise efficiency, yet enabling last minute changes to maximise output and meet delivery requirements.
Quality control is fully integrated in Tropos with quality specifications, tests, results, processes, batch control and ingredient supplies recorded in a fully integrated, end-to-end traceability system that meets the stringent requirements of legislation and the audit requirements of the major retailers.
SSI has been supplying and supporting industry systems for more than 20 years, to customers including Uniq, Morrison Bowmore Distillers, Kettle Produce, Geo Adams & Sons, Gala Coffee & Tea, James T Blakeman & Co and many more.
SSI is a Chelford Group company, with offices in Basingstoke, Darlington and Glasgow.
SSI
Contact: Lynne Hughes
Tel: 01256 685200
Fax: 01256 685201
Email: lynne.hughes@ssi-world.com
Website: http://www.ssi-world.com
Meat & Poultry - sponsor: Air Products
Air Products serves customers in technology, energy, healthcare and industrial markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of products, services and solutions, providing atmospheric gases, process and speciality gases, performance materials and chemical intermediates.
In 1965, the company helped pioneer the use of liquid nitrogen for ultra-fast food freezing. Since then, it has been helping food industry customers use the latest gas-based technologies in all kinds of applications - from tunnel, batch and immersion freezing to modified atmo-sphere packaging, waste water treatment and more.
In fact, Air Products has derived many of its greatest product innovations from problems its customers asked it to solve.
Whether your packaging, cooling, chilling or freezing applications include bakery goods, fruit and vegetables, poultry, meats, ready meals or anything in-between, Air Products' Freshline solutions offer you the high-purity gases and equipment, the international supply capability, and - most important - the unmatched industry experience and technical support to help you succeed, just about anywhere in the world. Ask Air Products ... and expect more.
Air Products works closely with its customers to select the optimal supply solution for their food applications: single cylinders, on-site gas generation systems, bulk and microbulk.
Air Products
Tel: 0800 389 0202
Fax: 01932 258 502
Email: apbulkuk@airproducts.com
Website: http://www.airprodcts.com/food
Seafood - Sponsor: Macphie of Glenbervie
With nearly 80 years of expertise in food ingredients, Macphie of Glenbervie is the UK's leading independent food ingredients manufacturer with its innovative, high quality, branded ingredients ranging from cake and bread mixes and sweet and savoury sauces to icings and release agents. These guarantee optimum taste, versatility and convenience.
In addition, its chef-led development team is passionate about creating a range of customised, added-value meal components, to order, for Europe's leading food manufacturers and foodservice operators. These range from frozen and chilled sweet and savoury sauces? to marinades and glazes. These meal components are developed by chefs, for chefs, using fresh, authentic ingredients of the highest quality to meet customers' unique applications.
A range of different packaging formats are available, including Tetra Paks, bag-in-box, pails, re-sealable bags, one tonne bulk units, Cryovac bulk bags (5-10kgs), sachets (60g-6kgs) and a range of individually quick frozen (IQF) pellets and extruded logs.
Quality is vital to Macphie and its customers. Across the business Macphie is accredited to BRC Global Standard Food at Grade A, with comprehensive hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) systems, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 as well as halal certification and Investors in People (IIP). The Macphie name stands for innovation, creativity, quality and service.
Macphie of Glenbervie
Tel: 01569 740641
Fax: 01569 740677
Email: info@macphie.com
Website: http://www.macphie.com
Apprenticeships - Sponsor: Improve
Improve, the food and drink sector skills council, is responsible for determining the key elements of apprenticeship programmes for the sector, designing new frameworks and reviewing and revising existing ones to ensure they are fit for purpose and reflect employers' needs.
Since Improve took on this responsibility more than two years ago, numbers of completed food and drink apprenticeships at level two have doubled. To build on this success and further boost uptake, Improve is now leading a major drive to revitalise apprenticeships in food and drink. Employer consultations are currently underway, which will lead to the development of an entirely new framework for apprenticeship programmes, making them more attractive and accessible for employers and employees. New apprenticeships based on the framework look set to be available across England and Wales from October this year, and in Scotland and Northern Ireland from November.
Improve is also preparing to run a second tranche of food and drink Young Apprenticeship programmes for 14 to 16-year-old school pupils this September, following the success of last year's pilot programmes.
To find out more about how apprenticeships can benefit your business, visit http://www.improveltd.co.uk. There you can also sign up for the quarterly apprenticeship newsletter The Source, which will keep you up to date on developments on apprenticeships in the food and drink manufacturing sector.
Improve
Tel: 0845 644 0448
Fax: 0845 644 0449
Email: info@improveltd.co.uk
Website: http://www.improveltd.co.uk
Personality of the year - Sponsor: Barclays
Barclays Business Banking has specialists in more than 50 industry sectors and is seen as first for offering specialisms and first for being the leader in business banking compared to other UK banks.* Barclays is the leading bank supporting the UK manufacturing industry with more than 1,600 manufacturing customers in its larger business division.
Within its manufacturing team, Barclays has expertise in 16 key sub-sectors, including food, drink and packaging. It looks after some of the largest UK food manufacturing businesses with a food, drink and packaging relationship director in each region.
These sector specialists are responsible for its client relationships ?nationwide and are keen to ensure the sector prospers in the global marketplace.
The team works proactively with its customers to help them generate value through their operations.
Each relationship director has a detailed knowledge and understanding of his clients' business and financial needs, ?providing Barclays services such as?: debt capital market products, leveraged finance, international banking?, investment management and asset finance.
Barclays is always keen to speak to companies in this sector and would be delighted to speak to you.
*(Millward Brown Brand Survey Q1 2007)
Barclays
Contact: John Laud
Head of Food, Drink & Packaging
Tel: 07775 543364
Email: john.laud@barclayscorporate.com
Website: http://www.barclays.co.uk/business
Diversity in Recruitment - Sponsor: foodmanjobs
http://www.foodmanjobs.co.uk is the leading online recruitment resource for the UK food and drink manufacturing sector.
Using Food Manufacture and the jobs website for your recruitment advertising provides you with the best possible platform for reaching the top talent in food and drink manufacturing.
Foodmanjobs.co.uk promotes hundreds of jobs in every aspect of this fast moving, vibrant and expanding industry. From food technology and new product development, through production and operations, to packaging and logistics, foodmanjobs.co.uk has it covered.
With more than 20,000 unique monthly users and thousands of registrations for job alerts by email, foodmanjobs.co.uk generates thousands of applications. Without doubt, this is the place where those in the business can find the largest selection of current, relevant positions.
Foodmanjobs.co.uk encourages diversity by presenting no barriers to usage. Its simple format ensures that jobs are available to all.
The largest selection of jobs in food for the largest numbers of people in food - a very simple and successful combination!
For more information, please contact Len Beckett 01293 610372 or len.beckett@william-reed.co.uk
Productivity through Skills - Sponsor: Improve
Improve, the food and drink sector skills council, is dedicated to driving up manufacturing workforce skills to help employers achieve world-class productivity and higher profits.
A crucial initiative towards this end is the newly-launched National Skills Academy in food and drink, one of the first four of a network of sector-based academies. It aims to strengthen UK food and drink manufacturing against international competition and drive the sector forward to become the most productive in the world. Administered from Improve's HQ, training will be delivered through a network of academy centres, each designated by its particular specialist area of expertise.
Improve has also completed a new integrated qualifications framework, a groundbreaking initiative that aims to make qualifications more relevant to employers' needs. Central to the framework is a major revamp of National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications in food and drink, which will allow students to combine bite-sized units of learning to build their own tailored National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications that best suit their, and their employers', needs.
Other ongoing projects include: the development of the Sector Skills Agreement, a live master-plan that will determine the entire programme of skills development; subsidised training to women employees in a bid to increase the number of women managers in food and drink; the design of new apprenticeship programmes; and the production of up-to-date and accurate labour-market information research across the UK.
Improve
Tel: 0845 644 0448
Fax: 0845 644 0449
Email: info@improveltd.co.uk
Website: http://www.improveltd.co.uk
LAST YEAR'S WINNERS
Food Manufacture Company of the Year 2006:
Histogram
Ambient and general groceries:
Premier Grocery Products
Bakery:
Allied Bakeries Ireland
Beverages:
Histogram
Chilled ready meals and prepared foods:
Southern Salads
Dairy:
Yeo Valley Organic
Frozen Foods:
Richmond Ice Cream
Meat and Poultry:
Lloyd Maunder
Seafood:
Young's Seafood
The Judges' Special Award:
Innocent Drinks
Apprenticeships:
Shauna Mackin - Moy Park
Productivity Through Skills:
Richmond Ice Cream
Diversity in Recruitment:
Lightbody Celebration Cakes
THE JUDGING PANELS
FOOD MANUFACTURE EXCELLENCE AWARDS JUDGES
Paul Wilkinson - Chairman of judges,
Chairman Big Bear, Chairman Produce World and Chairman of Improve
Steve Adams - Coca-Cola Enterprises, site operations manager
Jonathon Bayne - Musgrave Budgens-Londis, technical development controller
Mark Colvin - Leanpal, lean manufacturing consultant
Liz Jarman - Sainsbury, head of product
technology for household and ambient & general groceries,
Rick Pendrous - Food Manufacture, editor
Kevin Swoffer - consultant on food quality and supply chain management
Alan Speight - Food Solutions Associates, food consultant
Andy Underwood - Brakes Manufacturing, commercial director
James Walton - IGD, chief economist
Ian Weare - Suiko WCS, management consultant
FOOD MANUFACTURE SKILLS EXCELLENCE AWARDS JUDGES
Rick Pendrous - Chairman of judges
Steve Spendlove - Job Centre Plus, skills and learning policy manager
Paula Widdowson - Improve, commercial director
Derek Williams - Improve, development director