There was a buzz in the air last month at The Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards, which were held at The Savoy in London on November 2.
The event took place on the same day that HRH Prince Charles officially reopened the world-famous hotel, following its three-year, £200M refurbishment. The venue has a close association with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. But, more importantly, it displayed a renaissance that heralded a new sense of confidence within food and drink manufacturing, after years of attack from its detractors.
Speaker after speaker voiced a collective will to sing the praises of a sector that is so critical to the nation's future, in terms of wealth creation, skilled employment and food security. Food and Drink Federation Communications director Julian Hunt even recited his parody of 'The Major-General's song' from Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera The Pirates of Penzance, which he had composed in praise of the food and drink sector.
Our eminent panel of 12 independent judges, led by chairman Paul Wilkinson, were once again presented with the difficult task of deciding which of the high-calibre list of entrants should walk off with the prizes. And, in many cases, it really was a very closely run thing. The category awards were judged against a list of seven criteria: category management; marketing and new product development; supply chain improvement; quality assurance; health, safety and environmental management; process innovation; and human resource development.
The Food Manufacturing Company of the Year was chosen from the winners of the individual categories. Awards were also given for Personality of the Year, Small Company of the Year and the Judges' Special Award. The Food Manufacturing Skills Excellence Awards were presented for Productivity through skills and Diversity in recruitment.
Company of the Year (sponsored by the International Agri-Technology Centre)
Winner: apetito
The Food Manufacturing Company of the Year is selected by our expert panel of judges from the winners of the nine individual product categories. It goes to the company that the judges consider to be the pick of the crop.
apetito wowed the judges with its commitment to the cost sector it serves. It showed impressive results across all of the judging criteria. But it is also a glowing example of how passion for a business and a true connection with its target market can lead directly to improvements to the bottom line.
The judges recognised the incredible story it had to tell in making a difference by meeting the needs of consumers with eating problems, while providing them with tasty and appetising meals. One judge remarked: "It was one of the best entries I have seen it was brilliant; truly superb."
Small Company of the Year (sponsored by Vertex Law)
Winner: Mash Direct
This award is presented to the best small UK food or drink manufacturer – typically employing fewer than 100 people and with a turnover of less than £10m a year.
Mash Direct is not new to the Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards, having been a previous winner. However, our panel of judges has recorded the progress Mash has made over the years and continues to make. The judges overwhelmingly agreed that Mash merited further recognition.
They were particularly impressed that, despite its small size, Mash had submitted one of the most comprehensive entries in its category. "They have really stepped up their game," said the judges.
Shortlisted: Honeybuns, Mash Direct and The Big Prawn Co.
Judges’ Special Award
Winner: Askeys
Following the results of the infamous University of Southampton study, which pointed to potential links between six artificial colours and hyperactivity in children, the food industry has strived to remove these ingredients from its products. Askeys' work in this area is a model for how it should be done, said the judges.
Over the past 12 months Askeys has turned around a business that, in its own words, was in "a very difficult place" in terms of safety, quality and cost performance.
Diversity in recruitment (sponsored by Silver Stone Search & Selection)
Winner: Hitchen Foods
It takes a very bold company to grasp the thorny nettle of trying to help the long-term unemployed back to work.
But that is exactly what Wigan-based Hitchen Foods, part of the Bakkavör Group, has done. Hitchen didn't just play lip service to the issue, as part of a recruitment drive, it actually got involved with local agencies such as Jobcentre Plus and others to provide pre-employment training and give this target group the sort of help and confidence they needed to re-enter the jobs market. A very deserving winner.
Shortlisted: Hazeldene, Hitchen Foods and R&R Ice Cream
Productivity through skills (sponsored by Improve/ The National Skills Academy )
Winner: Aunt Bessie’s
When it comes to recognising that people make successful firms, Aunt Bessie’s gets it.
It has demonstrated excellence in leadership and motivation by investing in its employees and its staff leadership, training and support programmes, which caught the judges' imagination. They said: "Aunt Bessie's is attempting to change culture and raise the skills base of its staff it made a clear link between training and the results."
Shortlisted: Aunt Bessie's, Classic Cuisine, Hazeldene and R&R Ice Cream
Personality of the Year (sponsored by Food Manufacture)
Winner: Jimmy Doherty
This award goes to the person who has made the biggest contribution to the sector over the year – by transforming his or her business or, as in this case, by raising the profile of the sector. Our readers chose the winner in a poll of shortlisted candidates. Jimmy Doherty has proved through his BBC TV programme Jimmy's Food Factory that food manufacturing is exciting.
Single-handedly, he has probably done more than anyone else in recent years to raise the profile of our sector one that will need to attract much bright young talent if it is to survive the challenges ahead. Doherty is certainly a very worthy champion for the industry and one whose populist approach, which combines a scientific and farming background, has the necessary credentials to attract young people.
Nominees:
- Jimmy Doherty, TV presenter and farmer
- Kaarin Goodburn, secretary general, Chilled Food Association
- Fergal Leamy (former) head of Greencore USA
- Paul Lindley, md, Ella's Kitchen
- Lise Madsen, founder, Honeyrose Bakery
- Ross Warburton, President, Food and Drink Federation
Meat & poultry (sponsored by Air Products)
Winner: Parkam Food Group
Cooked meat manufacturer Parkam Foods impressed the judges with its excellent category management, which involves working closely with retail customers to drive sales.
Parkam makes high-quality cooked meat, sandwich and sandwich fillers for the retail, wholesale and foodservice sectors. Independent expert analysis has shown that it has successfully increased the market share of its retail customers.
The firm ticked all the boxes: from quality management to packaging innovation. It's all about ensuring that products meet the highest demands of its customers and consumers, said the Judges. "Overall it was a very strong entry."
Shortlisted: Farmers Boy, Morrisons and Parkam Food Group
Ambient and general groceries (sponsored by boughey)
Winner: Sleaford Quality Foods
Dried and canned products supplier Sleaford Quality Foods impressed the judges with its growth from a turnover of £15m to £27m in just four years, which was achieved without sacrificing the firm’s focus on customer service.
As the firm has expanded, it has maintained its profitability by extending its supply chain to purchase direct from source and by developing manufacturing techniques that helped reduce costs. As one judge said: "Sleafood stood out for giving a really comprehensive account of itself. Its Capex programme was particularly impressive."
Shortlisted: Askeys, Billington's, Cambridge Manufacturing Company and Sleaford Quality Foods
Frozen Foods (sponsored by British Frozen Food Federation )
Winner: apetito
apetito is a foodservice business that recognises the need to improve the products offered to its niche market.
The judges were impressed by the way apetito focused new product development (NPD) on making appealing products designed for elderly people with swallowing problems. The judges said: "This was an amazing entry in a specialist area, with people suffering from medical conditions in hospitals The difference this product makes is incredible."
Family-owned Apetito has tapped into its staff's skills to drive NPD to meet the changing needs of its customers. Its efforts have been rewarded by growing sales.
Shortlisted: Apetito, Aunt Bessie's, R&R Ice Cream and The Authentic Food Company
Bakery and confectionery (sponsored by Lauras International)
Winner: Park Cakes
Park Cakes has successfully turned a loss-making operation into a modest profit in just three years, with the assistance of its staff and through good management. By working with its staff, through innovation and with category rationalisation, it has also managed to secure new business.
It has grown its 'Mini Bites' into a category now worth over £56m.
Targeted investment helped the company reduce its production costs, while improving the quality of its products.
The judges thought it was a "tremendous entry" and an excellent demonstration of strength in category management, supply chain and quality assurance under difficult circumstances.
Shortlisted: Honeybuns Bakery, Honeytop Speciality Foods, Morrisons and Park Cakes
Seafood (sponsored by FoodManufacture.co.uk)
Winner: Young’s Seafood
Young’s is a leader in world-class standards of production and, as the judges remarked, it continues to raise the bar.
Continuous improvement in its processes has raised efficiency, while cutting costs and waste. It has extensively upgraded its operations and reduced the environmental impact of its products and processes.
One judge said: "I had Young's a long way ahead of the rest. What I really like is the employee focus: everything from training through to wellness. They really do look after their people very well and care where their raw materials come from."
Shorlisted: Lyons Seafood The Big Prawn Company and Young's Seafood
Dairy (sponsored by Culina)
Winner: Dairy Crest
Dairy Crest impressed the judges with the way it handled the installation of its new £24m cheese cutting and packing facility in Nuneaton.
Not only did it demonstrate in its first year that it is now one of the leanest, most advanced facilities in the industry, it managed to increase productivity by over 50%, while halving waste at the same time.
Automation means lines now run at 140 packs/min compared with 90/min before. Stock levels have been reduced by 20% and three days have been taken out of the production process. A tremendous achievement indeed.
Shortlisted: Rodda's, Dairy Crest and Yorvale
Fresh Produce (sponsored by Gist)
Winner: Natures Way Foods
In a tightly fought category, bagged salads and prepared fruits supplier Natures Way Foods (NWF) pipped other finalists to the post.
It proved its credentials as a modern, innovative and highly successful business. Natures Way's rapid growth is largely down to its innovation and new product development. In the latest example of this, its Lasting Leaf brand of bagged salads which offer a two-day longer shelf-life than traditional products look set to be a firm favourite with consumers.
NWF employs 450 permanent staff across two sites in West Sussex. The company pays considerable attention to its environmental impact and has achieved BS 14001 accreditation.
Shortlisted: Hazeldene, Natures Way Foods and Willowbrook Foods
Beverages (sponsored by: Foodmanjobs.co.uk)
Winner: Kraft Foods
Just two years after embarking upon a three-year improvement programme as part of a journey to become the ‘Home of Kenco’, Kraft’s soluble coffee factory at Banbury has demonstrated some stellar performance in raising its game.
By the close involvement of staff at all levels, it set aggressive performance goals, which have helped to reduce costs and inventories to the point that it has already exceeded its original targets. In the process, conversion costs have been reduced by an impressive 8%, while health and safety has also markedly improved.
Shortlisted: Alpro Soya, Framptons, Gerber and Kraft Foods
Chilled ready meals and prepared foods (sponsored by SA Partners)
Winner: Tamar Foods
Tamar Foods, part of Samworth Brothers, is a turnaround story that attracted the judges’ praise for its phased strategy of improvements and growth.
The firm which is a large-scale manufacturer of chilled, predominantly own-label foods has experienced positive growth over the last three years. It supplies around 160 stock-keeping units to major UK retailers, focusing on savoury pastry products and desserts. It has also achieved Investors in People accreditation and significantly reduced its environmental impact.
One judge said: "Tamar was, for me, the strongest entry particularly its human resources development. It really is an important priority for the business."
Shortlisted: Hitchen Foods, Mash Direct and Tamar Foods
The Judging Panel:
- Chairman of judges Paul Wilkinson, chairman Big Bear and Improve
- Jonathan Bayne, technical development controller, Musgrave Retail Partners GB
- Mark Colvin, lean manufacturing consultant, Leanpal
- Jean Feord, consultant
- Simon Hinks, product technical manager, Sainsbury's
- Michelle Jackson, European business development, Air Products
- Andy Marsh, director, Suiko
- Bob Marsh, deputy director and food sector leader, Biosciences Knowledge Transfer Network
- Wayne Morley, head of ingredients & product innovation, Leatherhead Food Research
- Rick Pendrous, editor, Food Manufacture
- Debbie Robinson, director, food retail marketing, The Co-operative Group
- Alan Speight, consultant, Food Solutions Associates