People & Skills

Uniq ceo Geoff Eaton

Uniq Minsterley: 85 dessert jobs could go

By Ben Bouckley

Uniq Desserts has confirmed that up to 85 management and production roles at its desserts site in Minsterley could go after the firm lost a £10m desserts contract in January.

Yearsley Group's proposed site extension

Residents take cold comfort from Yearsley expansion

By Ben Bouckley

Jim Dobbin MP says he understands local anger about controversial proposals from The Yearsley Group to build a new cold store in North Manchester, but says 150 potential new jobs should not be forgotten.

Robert Schofield

Own-label woe puts Premier jobs at risk

By Ben Bouckley, Graham Holter and Anne Bruce

Premier Foods plans to close its distribution centre in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire as it rationalises its south coast operations, while the firm has also rebuffed rumours of a management change.

Generation excess

Generation excess

By Freddie Dawson

Retirement guidelines are changing, but firms must tread carefully before retiring employees to avoid ending up in court.

Fat that got the cream

Fat that got the cream

By Rick Pendrous

Reformulating foods to reduce levels of fat, salt and sugar is key to reducing the UK’s spiralling
obesity epidemic. But it’s
no mean feat.

A bigger slice of   the artisan pie

A bigger slice of the artisan pie

By Interview by Rod Addy

Oliver James Foods’ pie factory must fulfil a tough brief to commercialise the delivery of artisan-style, quality products

Gangmasters use loophole to exploit illegal EU workers

Gangmasters use loophole to exploit illegal EU workers

By Rick Pendrous

Food and agricultural businesses are often unknowingly illegally employing workers from Romania and Bulgaria within the 'black economy' because of a loophole in the law regarding self-employment status, it has emerged.

January 2009: Flames swept through production halls at the Benton Lane site

Relief for workers at fire-hit Findus site

By Ben Bouckley

Around 300 workers employed at a Newcastle frozen food factory who lost their jobs after the site was gutted by fire in early 2009 are finally starting to receive statutory redundancy pay.

Top industry talent holds all the aces

Top industry talent holds all the aces

By Ben Bouckley

Food and beverage manufacturers who drag their heels over salary issues or benefits risk missing out on attracting the best industry talent in a market where highly skilled job applicants can pick and choose, say industry experts.

Benoit Testard to take helm at United Biscuits

Benoit Testard to take helm at United Biscuits

By Elaine Watson

United Biscuits has appointed UK md Benoit Testard as its new group chief executive as current boss executive chairman David Fish moves into a non-executive role.

Are you ready for the Agency Workers Regulations?

Are you ready for the Agency Workers Regulations?

By Elaine Watson

Employers hoping to avoid a hefty bill when new agency workers legislation comes into force by repeatedly terminating agency worker contracts at 11 weeks, 'stopping the clock' for six weeks and then rehiring them, could still fall foul of the...

Paul Jerram: Factory manager

Me and My Factory: Bon Apetito

By Paul Jerram, factory manager, apetito, Trowbridge

Apetito is part of a larger German company and is still privately owned. We are the biggest provider of food and services to the elderly, through Meals on Wheels (partnering with 150 local authorities), care homes and our Wiltshire Farm Foods franchise,...

Jim Moseley: A man on a roll

Jim Moseley: A man on a roll

For the FDF’s new president, Jim Moseley, the humble sausage roll highlights what the sector has to deal with. Rick Pendrous spoke to him

Chieftain o’ the	      pudding race

Chieftain o’ the pudding race

By James Macsween, director, Macsween


My grandfather set up the company in 1953. He had his own fleet of engineers and vans.

More than the sum of its parts

More than the sum of its parts

The food manufacturing industry employs one in seven of the UK’s workforce. When will the government recognise its massive contribution to the economy? asks Freddie Dawson

Yes we can

Yes we can

As a UK arm of the top-selling soft drinks maker globally, Coca-Cola Enterprises is fully aware of its environmental impact and responsibilities

Salary survey: Going up!

Salary survey: Going up!

By Freddie Dawson

It’s a good time to be employed in the food industry but, as Freddie Dawson finds out, it’s even better at the top

Bosses challenge union power

Bosses challenge union power

By Freddie Dawson

Recently it has seemed as if it were impossible to turn the page in a newspaper without reading about more potential industrial action in the food manufacturing industry. Companies such as Nestlé UK, Coca-Cola, Tunnock’s, Bakkavör and Maple Leaf Bakery...

A run for your honey

A run for your honey

By Patrick Robinson, factory manager, Rowse Honey

I left school with O- and A-levels and got a job in a microbiology lab at a bakery, which funded a Higher National Certificate in food technology at South Bank Polytechnic.

Kraft's Bob Hagan takes the helm at RSSL

Kraft's Bob Hagan takes the helm at RSSL

By Elaine Watson

Dr Bob Hagan – who heads the global analytical network at Kraft Foods – has been appointed as the new md of Reading Scientific Services (RSSL). He replaces Kay O'Donnell.

Court-Johnston: Talent and know-how

Ex Holland’s Pies boss joins Peter’s Food Service

By Elaine Watson

Neil Court-Johnston has been named as the new md of the foodservice division at pie, pasty and sausage roll-maker Peter’s, five months after his controversial exit from Holland’s Pies.

Organics: 10 reasons to be cheerful...

Organics: 10 reasons to be cheerful...

It's been a challenging couple of years for the organic sector, with sharp declines in sales in many areas and a contraction in shelf space as supermarkets have weeded out their slowest sellers.

FDF: migrant cap could be 'bad for business'

FDF: migrant cap could be 'bad for business'

By Ben Bouckley

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has expressed concern over the effects on the food industry of a interim cap on the number of skilled non-EU workers allowed to enter the UK.

A fair enough share 			for all

A fair enough share for all

The new Equality Act has profound implications for the food and drink industry, as Freddie Dawson discovers

Widdowson: Degree-level training centre

Northern Foods to build on skills pedigree

By Rod Addy

Northern Foods plans to build on its credentials as a food industry skills champion by upgrading its operations academy to form a degree-level training centre.

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