Fresh produce

Wingland Foods completes salad expansion

Wingland Foods completes salad expansion

By Ben Bouckley and Anne Bruce

Wingland Foods has completed the third £1m phase of a factory expansion that provides it with a 336m2 of additional low- and high-care cooking space.

End of the line for Bakkavör business

End of the line for Bakkavör business

By Anne Bruce

Bakkavör closed its Exotic Farm Produce factory in Kirton the Friday before last, with up to 66 of its 115 staff now facing redundancy.

Fourayes in bid to double turnover

Fourayes in bid to double turnover

By Anne Bruce

Fruit supplier Fourayes has installed jam and fruit purée production facilities as it bids to double its turnover to £20m within five years.

Time for fresh produce brands to deliver?

Time for fresh produce brands to deliver?

By Ben Bouckley

Former Tesco director of produce Peter Durose has challenged fresh produce suppliers to build successful brands to achieve better prices and achieve production benefits of scale.

Wilkin & Sons to preserve Tiptree base?

Wilkin & Sons to preserve Tiptree base?

By Anne Bruce

Jam producer Wilkin & Sons says its main focus during 2011 is to find new premises, which could possibly involve moving from its iconic site in the village of Tipree, Essex.

'Striking a Balance' Does DEFRA's task force report mark a new regulatory dawn or a missed opportunity?

DEFRA task force has failed fresh produce, FPC

By Ben Bouckley

The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) says that a prominent DEFRA task force appointed to cut red tape for farmers and food processors has ignored oppressive regulations facing its sector.

Climate change hits fresh pineapple supplies

Climate change hits fresh pineapple supplies

By Rod Addy

Fresh pineapple harvests will be hit by bad weather later this year, with businesses forced to resort to canned versions of the fruit and other stocks, fresh produce processor Nature’s Way Foods has warned.

Ocado ceo Tim Steiner: Increasing numbers of food firms are entering the online grocery arena

Online sales help brands counter own label threat

By Ben Bouckley

Limited supermarket shelf space and own label competition are reasons why food firms are growing online sales, both directly and through third-party sites, says food and grocery analyst IGD.

IT meltdown: Brakes ceo Stefan Barden wants to

Major IT meltdown puts the skids on Brakes

By Anne Bruce

Foodservice giant Brakes has apologised to customers following a massive IT breakdown last week, which meant staff in warehouses could not pick food and send out orders.

Trade buyer could carve-up Uniq, M&A experts

Trade buyer could carve-up Uniq, M&A experts

By Ben Bouckley

Food sector M&A experts believe it is more likely that a trade buyer – rather than a private equity player – could bid for convenience food firm Uniq, after its board announced a "number of indications of interest from third parties" in...

ASA has refused to scratch a free-range egg advert

Chariots of Fire scored egg advert OK with ASA

By Ben Bouckley

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has rejected numerous consumer complaints about a television advert for free-range eggs, which involved chickens running around fields to the theme music from film Chariots of Fire.

Scottish vegetable processor expands

Scottish vegetable processor expands

By Anne Bruce

Scottish vegetable company R & K Drysdale (Drysdales) is spending a £647,647 government grant on extending its premises in a move that will create new employment opportunities.

£14m investment

Natures Way Foods to create up to 380 new jobs

By Elaine Watson

Bagged salads and prepared fruit specialist Natures Way Foods has secured planning permission to build a £14m packhouse in Runcton that will create 110 permanent jobs and up to 270 flexible roles.

179 jobs to go at Bakkavor's Bourne Salads site

179 jobs to go at Bakkavor's Bourne Salads site

By Elaine Watson

144 hourly-paid staff have opted to take voluntary redundancy while a further 35 salaried staff have been made redundant at Bakkavör's Bourne Prepared Produce site in Lincolnshire.

Eaton: Stronger than expected sales in food-to-go

Uniq Q4: Desserts -1.7%, food-to-go +8.3%

By Elaine Watson

Chilled convenience firm Uniq said Christmas trading was “close to expectations” in the fourth quarter with a weaker performance in desserts (down 1.7%) offset by a strong performance in food-to-go (up 8.3%).

FSA vindicated in organic nutritional probe

FSA vindicated in organic nutritional probe

By Elaine Watson

The methodology used in the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) controversial review of the nutritional merits of organic vs conventionally-produced food has been given the stamp of approval by an independent scientific panel.

Uniq tackles £436m hole in its pension fund

Uniq tackles £436m hole in its pension fund

By Elaine Watson

Uniq has unveiled plans to tackle the £436m hole in its pension scheme with a deficit-for-equity swap that will deliver 90% of the company's equity to the pension fund.

Tesco: Pricing structure on organics is all over the place

Tesco: Pricing structure on organics is all over the place

By Elaine Watson

The pricing hierarchy in organic foods is confusing shoppers and holding the category back, with some products costing more than twice as much as conventional counterparts and others achieving price parity, according to the UK’s biggest grocer.

Could broccoli and garlic prove key weapons in fight vs arthritis?

Could broccoli and garlic prove key weapons in fight vs arthritis?

By Elaine Watson

A groundbreaking study exploring the potential of bioactive compounds in broccoli and garlic to slow or prevent the breakdown of cartilage is one of nine projects to secure a share of £4m, in the final funding round of the Diet and Health Research Industry...

Interfruit

Interfruit moves to new plant

By Rick Pendrous

Fresh fruit and vegetable wholesaler Interfruit has moved into a new 1,600m2 refrigerated food processing plant at Witton.

M&S

M&S hits back as CASH blasts salt levels in its salads

By Elaine Watson

Surveys that compare salt levels in products of different weights targeted at different eating occasions and then single out individual firms for criticism are unfair and unhelpful, Marks & Spencer has argued.

Uniq

Uniq "still viable" despite £436m pension deficit

By Elaine Watson

Uniq is still a viable business despite the £400m+ hole in its pension fund, and it is “still plausible” that a solution will be found to enable it to trade its way out of trouble, analysts have claimed.

Change4Life didn't change anything, claims academic

Change4Life didn't change anything, claims academic

By Elaine Watson

There is “no evidence” to suggest that the Change4Life initiative has helped to improve the eating habits or lifestyles of the most vulnerable people, according to one health expert.

Simply Fruit snack packs

Cut fruit firm invests £2-3m in factory expansion

By Elaine Watson

Craigavon-based Orchard County Foods will pump £2-3m into its cut fruit factory over the next 18 months as it seeks to expand its presence in the branded fruit snacks market.

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