6-10 March 2010

The Food and Drink Federation's Biscuit Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Sector Group's annual conference, entitled 'Looking Forward to Sweet Success' will broaden the event's horizon beyond its former technical focus. The conference will focus on a wide range of issues that affect the food industry, including: the impact of the recession, issues surrounding waste and sustainability, and responding to customer pressure.

1-7 Feb: National Salt Awareness Weekwww.actiononsalt.org.uk

What do you do day-to-day?

Sandwich retailer, EAT, which BB last August revealed had plans to double the number of outlets from 100 to 200 within three to five years, has revamped its chilled distributions to cope with worries over sudden failures in distribution of products to its stores.

While most people will be aware of the major bakery wholesalers such as Bako and BFP lesser known are the smaller regional suppliers that are making inroads into craft bakery. Walker Humphrey, which supplies esteemed retailers like Bettys of Harrogate and Cooplands of Doncaster, is a case in point.

The logistics of integrating two large firms, operating from different sites, can be a real nightmare.

What's the latest?

Simply put, Daub makes ovens. The company pioneered thermal oil ovens which, according to research, save 30% on energy costs while producing quality end-products. At its Hamburg headquarters, which employs 85 people, the ovens are built before being exported to Britain and all over the world.

McDonalds Bakers of Glasgow took a tentative step in a new direction during the 1990s and has never looked back. A traditional family baking business, with 10 conventional retail outlets, the company had made an abortive and almost business-ending attempt to diversify into wholesale during the previous decade. And since it was "getting harder and harder for traditional bakers' shops", according to its MD, the decision was taken to develop a coffee shop and takeaway offering.

A world of change and only 650 words to sum it up (that's 12 wasted already). You could write a book on the new qualifications framework, its implications and benefits for employers, and how bakery fits in. Instead, here is the slimmed-down, abridged, Dr Atkins version just the protein, no carbs.

Brand owners spend their lives trying to increase the size and value of their brands. Of course they do, it's business and what matters most in business is profit and loss (P&L). What can happen, though, when the P&L becomes the primary focus of any company providing goods or services, is that quality of output is compromised. And when the passion is transferred from the brand to the balance sheet, the brand can suffer.

The pecan tree is indigenous to North America and the nut it produces has a smooth shell, but an appearance like a long walnut inside. Like the walnut, it is high in omega 6 fatty acids. Also called hickory nuts, pecans are best-known as the main ingredient in pecan pie, but can be used in many other baked goods. They go particularly well with chocolate and are a good addition to chocolate brownies, chocolate and pecan pie or chocolate and pecan cookies.

As much as I look forward to my delivery of British Baker and have welcomed its change to include much more content that is relevant to smaller, independent bakeries, there is still one matter which I do not understand: what is your definition of "craft baker"?

If even one, tiny, undeclared enzyme in your body is interested in the future of bread and baking, then your internal buzzer will be going off. This alarm trills louder and louder until answers are found. At the end of last year, I attended the first Rise of Real Bread Conference. A veritable fermenta levain of well-cultured interested parties assembled, a throng of approximately 150 souls, each having parted with £38 or at the very least a whole Saturday, to consider the future of bread.

So what's the product?

So 2010 is here, holiday time is over and no one has any money or do they? For most of us, this is a busy time of year, getting back into the swing of work, which invariably means spending less time with the ones we love. And therein lies your opportunity to capitalise on the 'power catch-up' friends chatting over a coffee and something to eat.

Byron Bay Cookie Company's Dotty Cookie has undergone a New Year makeover. The new-look single-wrap packaging is designed to appeal to those most likely to eat the Dotty Cookies kids. It also highlights that the cookies are free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives in order to appeal to parents buying them for their children. The new-look packaging, launched successfully in Australia last year, has resulted in a 30% increase in sales.

Warburtons has launched two new premium unsliced wrapped loaves on to the market. The new 600g loaves are available in Tiger White and Tiger Brown varieties and have been launched to enable retailers to take advantage of the popularity of in-store bakery products.

Premier Foods is to launch Mr Kipling Oatibakes, designed to cater for the lunchbox market. The new oat-based cakes will be available in caramel, strawberry and blackcurrant variants, and will form part of the fastest-growing part of the lunchbox sector, which is 'non-chocolate', claimed Premier.

RedBlack Software has launched Cybake Touch a new shop ordering software application for bakery retailers.

United Biscuits has relaunched its Penguin Mint biscuit in a new nine-pack format. Following the launch of its Penguin Orange variety in the same format, the stand-alone nine packs have been launched in an attempt to drive further growth in the chocolate biscuit bar sector. Both Penguin Mint and Orange were formerly available in an 18 variety-pack.

Ingredients specialist Beacon Foods is expanding its range with the addition of fresh citrus fruit zests. The firm, which already supplies caramelised orange and lemon zest, has invested in bespoke machinery to increase its offering.

CSM UK has launched a new bread concentrate, for bakers looking to make low-glycaemic index (GI) bread or rolls.

Edible oil prices rose steeply in the last quarter of 2009, driven largely by China buying huge quantities of soya beans from the US, according to Gordon Kirkwood of consultancy Eccelso.

Kraft Foods has laid all its cards on the table with a final bid for Cadbury. The US manufacturer announced details of a recommended final offer on 19 January 2010 the deadline for acceptance is Tuesday 2 February.

I recently read Richard Branson's book, Business Stripped Bare, and found it very refreshing and inspiring.

Foodservice sales in Europe are unlikely to pick up to 2007/08 levels until 2013, according to a new report by Rabobank. However, as consumers continue to trade down on products, the report suggests the active promotion of meal deals or discounts can help reach out to consumers, who are keeping a tight hold on their purse strings.

Exports of Irish bakery products increased by more than 20% in 2009 despite difficult market conditions.

Starbucks has announced plans to open 30 new stores in the UK by September 2010, following an "exceptionally busy Christ-mas period".

Hovis brands grow

Significant sales growth at The Real Good Food Company's morning goods and patisserie subsidiary Hayden's has helped the firm achieve estimated pro-fits of around 25% above current market expectations.

Ambient plant mince pies performed well as sales of in-store bakery (ISB) mince pies slumped dramatically in the run-up to Christmas, in a tough December all-round for the ISB sector.

Whitworth role

Europain, the major French bakery show, will take place at Parc des Expositions just outside Paris on March 6-10. The show, easily accessible by train from Paris or nearby airport Charles de Gaulle, features an innovations area and four halls dedicated to different subjects.

The National Skills Academy (NSA) has hailed the pilot of a new broad-based bakery course, entitled Professional Bakery, a "huge success".

Norman Olley, a well-known baker and one of Rick Stein's food heroes, has closed his business in Dereham, Norfolk, after falling sales left him with no choice.

Big Pie Night

A fifth of adults claim they suffer from a food allergy or intolerance, but evidence has suggested less than 2% actually do, according to new research commissioned by the Flour Advisory Bureau (FAB). The report, carried out by the University of Portsmouth, also revealed that over half the population believe wheat allergy is a common illness. Yet confirmed cases of wheat allergies are less common than, for example, peanut, egg or milk allergies. "Those living alone and those aged 35-44 were most likely to report such an allergy," said the FAB.

The search is on to find the nation's best bakers to represent the UK in the Louis Lesaffre Cup. The 'world cup' of baking pits teams of three bakers, from around 40 countries and five continents, against each other in a series of national and international heats.

The MD of expanding London bakery café chain Apostrophe is keen to source more products from British suppliers, but says high prices for top-quality patisserie are a stumbling block.

Gluten-free bread brand Genius is making inroads into the food-to-go market and will be the carrier for Starbucks' tuna mayonnaise sandwich from mid-February.

The British Society of Baking (BSB) will host a four-course dinner, including a talk by well-known BBC sports journalist Garry Richardson, as part of its AGM.

The latest figures on plant bread sales suggest that branded bread is continuing to grow at the expense of private-label.

Edinburgh HQ for JBT

Staff at Durham-based Peters Bakery have reportedly been asked to take a 10% pay cut. The firm has been in discussions with the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) regarding the proposal, but a source at the BFAWU said it was too early to say what the final outcome would be. When asked to confirm whether the talks were about a possible 10% pay cut, he replied: "What you have heard is true."

Noble Foods, the largest supplier of eggs and egg products in the UK, has acquired premium chocolate desserts company Gü Chocolate Puds, in a deal reported to be worth £35m.

Burton’s Foods has announced it is the first UK sweet biscuit manufacturer to acquire GreenPalm certificates for 100% of its palm oil usage.

Warburtons has announced a £25 million investment programme at its Bolton bakery. However the move threatens the jobs of around a quarter of its workforce at the site.

The latest figures on plant bread sales suggest that branded bread is continuing to grow at the expense of private-label.

The latest figures on plant bread sales suggest that branded bread is continuing to grow at the expense of private-label.

The data, from Kantar Worldpanel (formerly know as TNS Worldpanel), has shown that the total value of branded plant bread increased by 5.9% year-on-year (YOY) for the 52 w/e 29 November 2009. Private-label, on the other hand, fell by 6% in the same period.

The increase in branded sales has mainly been seen in white bread, up 7.5%, with branded brown plant bread up only 0.9%. In terms of volume, the same pattern can be seen, with slightly lower branded growth, and higher private-label volume decline.

The figures echo Hovis’ most recent trading figures. Hovis marketing director Jon Goldstone told British Baker he believes the continuing trend is down to a combination of three factors, one of which is value.

“The price of private-label loaves has gone up slightly over the past year, whereas the brands have slightly come down, so the gap between them has closed,” he said. “Another reason is quality. I think the brands have all invested in quality – we certainly have done so significantly at Hovis. And the third factor is brand investment in communications. When you put those three things together, it could explain why brands are growing at the expense of private-label.”

Joe Street, managing director of Fine Lady Bakeries, which supplies private-label bread and rolls to some of the leading supermarket chains, said he believed the fall in private-label sales was due to “all the promotional activities on branded loaves”. He said that, within Fine Lady, the basic own-label products had not been doing so well, whereas the more premium breads, such as seeded loaves, had held up.

“I think there will always be a market for both branded and private-label,” added Federation of Bakers director Gordon Polson, who said it was likely there would continue to be a trend towards the premium end of both sectors.

Britvic has continued to grow its soft drink sales for the 12 weeks to 20 December 2009, with revenue up 11% on 2008 to £242.7 million.

Its GB carbonates division saw revenue growth of 20.1%, GB Stills revenue increased 9.6% and Britvic’s International arm saw growth of 5.1%.

However the contribution from Britvic Ireland of £48.4m for the three months to 31 December 2009 was down by 3.0% on the same period in 2008, although underlying euro revenues were down by 10.1%.

The firm also increased its volume share of the take-home market in Great Britain by a further 0.4% over the period.

The firm reported that the stills market growth had been driven by categories such as plain water and sports drinks, while carbonates growth came mainly from the cola and glucose/stimulant drinks categories.

“Shoppers in Ireland have again focused on value in the latest quarter,” according to the firm, which added that although volumes in the grocery market in the Republic of Ireland were flat, heavy discounting and promotions have pushed down its value by 12.8%.

Britvic has continued to grow its soft drink sales for the 12 weeks to 20 December 2009, with revenue up 11% on 2008 to £242.7 million.

Norman Olley, a well-known baker and one of Rick Stein’s food heroes, has closed his business in Dereham, Norfolk, after falling sales left him with no choice.

Norman Olley, a well-known baker and one of Rick Stein’s food heroes, has closed his business in Dereham, Norfolk, after falling sales left him with no choice.

The self-proclaimed “campaigning baker” told British Baker he blamed the increasing dominance of the supermarkets, for the falling number of consumers coming to buy bread from his shop. “I’ve been trying to fight the big boys and everything they represent... but now they’ve finally got me,” he said.

The North Elmham bakery, which Olley had run for 34 years, shut its doors on Saturday 16 January, after he had run through his finances the day before and realised he didn’t know where the money was going to come from to pay the bills and his staff their wages. “I thought it best to walk away now, rather than be pushed,” he said.
The business, which employed eight people, comprised a shop in Dereham and a stall at Norwich market. The bakery also supplied between 30 and 40 wholesale clients in the local area, including schools.

Sales had fallen over the past year, explained Olley. “A year ago I was taking around £1,500 a week on the market stall, but this has dropped to £500, and the business had been turning over around £5,000 a week, but this had dropped by around £1,200 a week on average.”

Olley said he’d noticed falling customer numbers over the past five years as people chose to shop at the supermarket for their bread instead. Looking back, he said he probably should have closed about five years ago, “but being a baker you run business from your heart rather than your head”.

Significant sales growth at The Real Good Food Company’s bakery division, Hayden’s, has helped the firm achieve estimated profits of around 25% above current market expectations.

Hayden’s Bakeries achieved double-digit growth with all its major customers, for the year ended 31 December, including Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Costa Coffee, with overall sales up 15%. In its pre-close trading update, the firm also revealed that a major investment plan is now being overseen by the management team, led by MD Paul Smith, to double the size of the business over the next four years.

Among its successes last year, the division grew its foodservice sales, an area the business moved into in 2008, which now accounts for almost 10% of total revenues. Twenty-nine products were either launched or re-launched during the firm’s “key launch window” in October, and mince pie sales hit record levels, with over 1.5 million pies produced - up 64% on 2008.

The supplier of sugars, bakery ingredients and manufacturer of bakery products, also announced record retail sales of sugar, within its ingredients business - Renshawnapier, in 2009, which was put down to a combination new contracts and growth in the home-baking market.

Sugar sales to small industrial customers increased strongly in the second half of 2009, with new product launches planned to help further drive growth in the division.

Bulk sugar sales reduced slightly due to weakness in the market, “following the final phase of the EU Sugar Regime changes in October”. However the firm announced a number of new contracts have already been gained for 2010.

“The Group expects to report profits before taxation and exceptional items for the year ended 31 December 2009, which are around 25% above current market expectations,” according to Real Good Food, which also managed to reduce its bank borrowings from £29.1m to £21.3m during the period end.

The firm expects to announce its preliminary results in mid-March. 

Real Good Food Company is comprised of its ingredients business, Renshawnapier, and its bakery businesses Hayden’s Bakeries and cake manufacturer Seriously Scrumptious.

Starbucks has announced plans to open 30 new stores in the UK by September 2010, following an “exceptionally busy Christmas period”.

The new stores, which will be a mixture of company-owned and licensed outlets, are planned to open by the end of Starbucks’ fiscal year in September.

The chain has also opened four concessions in New Look clothing stores, with a fifth planned to open in February, following the closure of its 36 Starbucks concessions in Borders – which went into administration before Christmas.

A spokesperson for Starbucks told British Baker that Starbucks had been looking at which businesses took over the lease from Borders, to see if Starbucks’ concessions could re-open within them – “and New Look was one of them”.

Christmas sales helped the coffee chain record its sixth straight month of like-for-like growth in the UK. Comparative store sales rose by 3.9% in the first quarter to 27 December 2009, with sales in December alone up 6%.

Starbucks UK reported strong sales for its Christmas drinks, with 20% more Gingerbread and Toffee Nut Lattes sold than in 2008. The coffee chain noted that average customer spend was also on the increase.

Starbucks Corporation’s total net revenue was up 4% to $2.7bn.

Convenience food group Uniq is back in the black after increased food-to-go sales helped steer the business back to positive sales growth.

In its fourth quarter trading update the firm announced that food-to-go sales were up 11.5% for the 13 weeks to 26 December. “Consumers responded well to the swift changes in our product range to deliver better value and innovation in key categories,” according to the company statement.

Its Northampton business benefited from “new sandwich volume” with Marks and Spencer, worth £15m per annum, however this was partly offset by the loss of a “significant proportion” of its airline business, when British Airways announced its decision to reduce food services on short haul flights.

Its desserts arm saw sales rise 0.4%, and it achieved a good Christmas performance, reversing the negative growth reported in the previous two quarters.

The food group made the decision to dispose of its French, German, Polish and Netherlands business units earlier in 2009, to become focused solely on the UK convenience market.

Significant sales growth at The Real Good Food Company’s bakery division, Hayden’s, has helped the firm achieve estimated profits of around 25% above current market expectations.

Starbucks has announced plans to open 30 new stores in the UK by September 2010, following an “exceptionally busy Christmas period”.

Convenience food group Uniq is back in the black after increased food-to-go sales helped steer the business back to positive sales growth.

Retail property values have fallen by 16% compared to their peak in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to brokers Christie + Co’s latest Business Outlook publication.

New research commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has revealed that there is a low level of consumer engagement with, and understanding of, country of origin labelling (COOL).

Carried out by Oxford Evidentia, the research brings together five studies investigating consumers’ attitudes, use and understanding of COOL - which signifies ‘the place of the last substantial change’ to food products such as pies.

The findings revealed that consumers were unclear as to what country of origin referred to, particularly in relation to meat - whether it referred to where the animal was born, reared, slaughtered or processed. For example, a sausage roll manufactured in Britain could be labelled as manufactured in the UK, even if the pig was reared and slaughtered in another country.

When consumers were asked what information they looked for when purchasing food for the first time, only 11% of respondents in the survey by NatCen mentioned that they looked for country of origin labels.

However, when asked in whether they looked for country of origin information, the figure rose to 52%.  

Price and food safety information, for example use-by dates, were largely considered to be more important factors, than COOL, by consumers, according to the FSA report.

In September 2009, the FSA published revised origin labelling guidelines. Currently, it is required on a number of individual food stuffs including beef, certain fruit and vegetables, honey and eggs.

However, new European labelling rules are being proposed in Brussels, and the results of this new research would “help to inform discussions about a European proposal on food labelling,” said the FSA.

At the moment most food, including pies and sausage rolls, is only required to include country of origin information if it would otherwise be misleading to the consumer.

The search is on to find the nation’s best bakers to represent the UK in the Louis Lesaffre Cup. The ‘world cup’ of baking pits teams of three bakers, from around 40 countries across all five continents, against each other in a series of national and international heats.

Home-based cake decoration business Cake Toppers Ireland has announced plans to expand internationally.

Jill FitzGerald, who runs the business from a studio beside her home in Co Kerry, south-west Ireland, said she plans to expand with the production of christening and birthday toppers this year. She also hopes to start supplying the UK and US markets.

The majority of consumers view malt as a healthy ingredient, which improves the flavour of food, according to new research commissioned by Muntons.

New research commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has revealed that there is a low level of consumer engagement with, and understanding of, country-of-origin labelling (COOL).

lMachinery
With some categories of pastry in stronggrowth, what laminating and sheeting equipment can you buy to take advantage?
lDistribution and wholesale
We find out what distributors want fromsuppliers. And we look at the optionsfor sourcing products
lBakers' Review
The monthly pages of the National Association of Master Bakers return for 2010

A weird form of treasure hunt, organised at a Lancashire resort, has bothererd the staff of a local café. It was found that cups of tea or coffee were ordered and, having received the usual receipt, the customers paid the money, but attempted to retain the check [receipt]. In some cases the tea or coffee was not touched. The mystery was solved when it was discovered that a local had organised a treasure hunt, one condition of which was the production of a check from the particular café. A more pointless and peculiar scheme it is difficult to imagine. On the face of it, it would seem that the café would benefit by increased turnover and a little advertisement. But any advantage of this kind would be easily outweighed by the inconvenience to the staff occasioned by the inteference with the ordinary clerical routine, as a result of which it would be impossible to analyse the takings properly. Such schemes should obviously be discouraged.

Jesus appears on a naan bread (again)... http://bit.ly/5HEwH4 Yet more geeky Star Wars cake creativity... http://bit.ly/8IS04K How do you make a cake worthy of Elvis' 75th birthday (he's still alive, you know)? http://bit.ly/8B2Qk7 Can you really sell a cupcake for $10,000? Er, no... http://bit.ly/8431Vi Why we still want to eat a high-calorie pud after a meal... http://bit.ly/8sEAuk How tall is Britain's biggest wedding cake? Is 9ft big enough for you? http://bit.ly/8NfmC9

The media is awash with trend predictions for 2010. So we're not about to break ranks, are we? Here's Stop the Week's half dozen...
1. Whoopie goldmine
"The freshest food fad to waft in from American bakeries," declared The Times on Saturday, "is the humble whoopie pie, a cake-and-cream dessert sandwich". Always ones to blow our own trumpet, BB predicted this in our appropriately named 'Trend Predictor' column back in 10 April 2009... Verdict: ****

These premium Easter-themed cakes use Macphie's Genoese Mix and 5th Avenue icing and offer a high profit margin.

This recipe combines CSM's Craigmillar-branded Extra Moist Cake and Crembel Lemon Fudge Icing.

This uses Baktem Blue (used at 20% on flour weight) for fermented buns, a ready-to-use crossing mix and a ready-to-use bun glaze. Baktem Spiced Bun Concentrate, a ready-spiced mix (25% on flour weight), is also available.
Ingredients kg
Flour4.000
Baktem Blue 20%0.800
Yeast0.200
Water2.240
Currants1.000
Sultanas1.000
Peel (if required)0.038
Bun spice flavour0.035
Total9.313

You don't have to wait until September's National Cupcake Week to capitalise on the cupcake craze, which shows no signs of slowing. In fact, cupcakes saw sales volume growth of 13.7% and average prices per pack increasing by 7.2% (TNS Superpanel, 52 w/e 4 October 2009). "There is still potential in the market for those looking for great trading profits," says Lisa Boswell, marketing manager at CSM. So why not try some decorated cupcakes this Easter?
Ingredient suppliers are coming up with a number of ways to cut costs and simplify the process this season. Karen Scott, communi-cations manager at Macphie, says: "We recommend that bakers look more closely at the 'cost in use', because it is not just about the cost of the bag mix, it is about how far the mix goes and what additional ingredients may be needed."
Meanwhile, British Bakels is offering a package that means bakers can achieve an 80% margin on hot cross bun sales. If they use Baktem Blue, along with Bakels' ready-to-use Crossing Mix, they will receive the ready-to-use Bun Glaze free of charge. This bundle deal is the equivalent to a 30% discount across the board.
"Our package gives bakers the opportunity to produce great-tasting hot cross buns and increase their profit margins, thanks to the free bun glaze," says Pauline Ferrol, national sales controller at Bakels.

Jonathan Warburton, chairman, Warburtons
"I believe the category still has lots of opportunity to encourage consumers to expand their repertoire, particularly at the moment when staying in and eating at home is becoming increasingly common. If we work closely in partnership with our customers, we can achieve this. Innovation is key within any category to ensure that the product offering remains relevant to consumers and bakery is no exception. As a business, we are more determined than ever to help drive growth in the category and succeed in these difficult times."
Mike Benton, marketing controller,McVitie's Cake Company
"As the recession continues into 2010, promotions will continue to play an important part in the market for branded cakes.
"Consumers will be looking for brands they trust and value products that provide more for their money and, as consumer confidence in the category slowly returns, there will be a bigger appetite for innovation. This will add excitement to the category, reflecting consumers' willingness to experiment with new products and flavours.
"Health and nutritional improvements and reformulations will play a key part, as comfort eating declines and people look for healthier alternatives. In keeping with this trend, out-of-home consumption is likely to continue to decline, as fewer people choose to have lunchboxes and vending machines are removed from schools in a bid to tackle the growing problem of obesity.
"It is also expected that there will be a massive growth in the importance of new consumer communication channels, as people become more interested in alternative forms of consumer engagement, such as digital media campaigns and advertising.
"The government health agenda will put added pressure on the market, with companies under continuous pressure to produce healthier products that will aid in combating obesity in the UK. Retailers will also be faced with the challenge of maximising profitability from shop space, as consumers continue to demand value from products.
"It would bring a great big smile to my face if we could see the cake market return to volume growth in 2010. Nothing would make me sigh; I'm an eternal optimist."
Ken McMeikan, chief executive officer, Greggs
"The biggest hope I have is that there aren't going to be significant job losses. One thing I've noticed in 2009, which impacts on confidence more than anything, is when people are uncertain about their own future and their incomes. People are still very uncertain about that, particularly when they know that whoever is in government will have to face the UK's debt challenge and make some tough decisions that could involve job losses. If people have money and there's still confidence to spend or to start spending, then we all have a chance of having a reasonably good year.
"As for the baking industry, I would hope that we continue to work well with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) on issues such as salt and fat reduction. These are important targets we face as an industry and we are making good progress and doing a lot of work towards them. But we have to have a very healthy and constructive partnership with the FSA, because we don't want to have customers impacted adversely by the consequences of what we're doing, due to changes in the taste and quality of the products we're delivering.
"We make great-tasting products that our customers love and we are working towards FSA guidelines and targets. But I think we need a commonsense approach. Our hope is to have a constructive working relationship with the FSA, so that we continue the dialogue and they work closely with us to understand the efforts we're making to reduce salt, as well as the consequences of what we're doing.
"I also hope that we don't lose any more small independent bakeries. That's not good for the baking industry and, over the past three to four months, we've started to see some of the smaller chains of bakeries and independent bakers going into administration. The one that surprised me was Ainsleys, given its size.
"We tend to see more reports of retail sales through the supermarkets, so you don't get the full picture of the high street and the effect the recession is having. It's good to have competition and the baking industry needs independent bakers; they create a lot of innovative and specialist products, challenging all of us to match or do better than them. And the human side of smaller chains or independent bakers going into administration is that people have lost their jobs.
"For Greggs, my hope is that it remains a strong and growing business, because that allows us to continue to create jobs. We employ over 19,000 people, so securing their employment is important and good for the economy as a whole."
Simon Cannell, head of La Boulangerie, Brakes
"With regards to salt, my concern boils down to the fact that, as a nation, we've been consistently eating less bread over the years and what is this being replaced with? Everyone recognises that bread and other starchy foods should represent a significant portion of a healthy diet. If we turn customers off bread, will this be replaced by less healthy alternatives. Bread has always played a vital role in diets across the globe, but more and more people I speak to in the UK say that they don't eat bread any more due to diets etc.
"For 2010, I'd like to see a healthier view towards bread in the UK. Sometimes, all of the good work that is done in salt reduction can lead to the only thing consumers hearing is that bread is full of salt and bad for you. We need a balanced view and we need to promote the benefits of bread in a healthy diet much more effectively."
Nicky Cracknell, national account controller, Bakehouse
"2009 has been a tough year for the economy and the foodservice industry has felt the impact. In 2010, consumers are looking for a good deal, but not at the expense of quality. With this in mind, there is a lot of NPD activity around products that offer the best combination of innovation and value. We believe that any issue of cost will come full circle, as people want to indulge in little daily luxuries, such as a fresh morning pastry on the way into work. We are seeing a real rise in interest in new savoury options within the bakery sector. There is a demand for innovation at the savoury end of the scale. Consumers want something different to eat on-the-go or as an alternative lunchtime option or accompaniment.
"For coffee shops, price is a real driver at present, with an increased focus on savoury items and this is also true for quick-service shops and service stations, which are looking to extend their savoury offer and provide a choice of comfort foods. Operators will be looking at getting their core ranges correct, before considering extensions to the offering. It is a careful balancing act between not offering too much choice, so as not to confuse customers, but having enough to inspire them and secure repeat purchases. The important thing is to demonstrate that you are trying new things."
Jefta Kon Lakovic, chief executive, Arnaouti Pitta Bakery, Hoddesdon, Herts
"In 2010 I believe we are going to see the growth of more flour-based baked snacks, such as crisps, hoops and other extruded goods, because they will be perceived as healthier. Obesity is becoming a major problem, so lower fat levels will be good and cost content will be lower.
"A new niche drinks market will emerge, with more drinks from the Orient using natural juices and spring water. They will be all-natural with little or no added sugars.
"This Easter, I think the economy will give a false sign of uplift, around election time, but then it will dip again. Hopefully we will see a resurgence beginning in the autumn, motoring on through Christmas and gaining momentum in 2011. The British export market in food will contribute to this and the whole economy will start to resume growth of between 2-6%. This may happen earlier (as in France, Germany and others), but the UK. economy is no longer manufacturing-dominant. In my view, this is a serious disadvantage."
Paul Ettinger, a founder of Caffè Nero
"Predicting the big food trends is not easy, but I see artisan bakeries growing, and smaller food portions arriving. Challenges will include a flat economy, volatile ingredient prices, currency issues, inflation and more competition."
Duncan Macfarlane, sales director, Scobie & McIntosh bakery equipment
"Alistair Darling needs to move on or get the sack! The pound needs to recover more. The banks need a push to start filtering more money through to businesses and there needs to be more grants available. They should treat the whole of the UK as equal not just take specific areas where some can get grants of 47% towards new equipment and others, such as Aberdeen, getting virtually nothing. Where is the fairness in that?"
John Smith, MD of craft baker New Pitsligo, nr Aberdeen
"We have two shops and a wholesale business, comprising around 60% to local shops and convenience stores. I want to see cheaper distribution costs and diesel come down.
"[Scotland's First Minister] Alex Salmond promised to reduce business rates and he's done that. We now pay virtually none, saving us around £450 a month. It's good to see a politician supporting small businesses and keeping his promises! It has made craft bakeries compete much better throughout Scotland."
Keith Stalker, MD, EPP machinery
"Not being able to get funds from banks is holding good businesses back. We see customers who want to expand SMEs and, while the very big ones are OK, as are the major retailers, the SMEs are not getting access to the money they need.
"So the banks need to lend more and the pound needs to get stronger. We need to see the UK start to climb out of the recession and hear people talking more positively about things and for that to happen, more lending needs to take place."
Neville Moon, head of food and beverage, Caffè Nero
"I would say 'excess' will be a watchpoint as we exit the recession. For example, large portion sizes, or products laden with fat or sugar, will make people feel they are not being good to themselves. 'Healthy' will take on a greater role, particularly in snacking, as well as healthier alternatives to pastry and muffins. I also predict a greater interest in artisan products particularly for better bread."
Kirk Hunter, CEO, Scottish Association of Master Bakers
"I'd like to see us move strongly out of recession. To do that, we need to restore consumer confidence, so government must come clean on the right strategy. We need to get through the election because, at the moment, we are in a phoney war situation, which is not good for business.
"We can anticipate public expenditure cutbacks, which are bound to have an effect on bakers, but overall I'm optimistic that 2010 will see the beginning of a recovery and a return to prosperity."
"I hope this is a year we see the economy start to recover and customers being more confident."
Scott Clarke, bakery category director, Tesco
Simon Solway, MD, Unifine Food & Drink Ingredients
"Last year was about looking at the bottom line and reducing costs; 2010 will be about building on that platform. Once the country thaws which is the big issue of the moment we're really seeing more positivity in the market.
"Consequently, we're looking forward to the Baking Industry Exhibition [at the NEC from 21 to 24 March] this year, where there will be a lot of new launches; this gives us confidence. If we look at our customers, we're recording more launches compared to this time last year. If we looked at 2009, the first six months were very tough and things got a lot better in the last six months, and that has carried on already into January.
"In November, British Baker wrote that Danish pastry sales were up 10% year-on-year second behind muffins. This is fantastic news yes, people are being careful about what they buy, but they want something that tastes good and satisfies all their senses. We would encourage customers to look to the Continent, where there are some great new products being launched. We would also like to see the UK export more cake there's still so much imported cake into the UK. The exchange rate is something producers can really benefit from."
Andy Pollard, sales and marketing director, Cereform
"I want to see the Euro exchange rate improve and raw material prices become more consistent, so we are able to give longer-term commitment on cost to manufacturers and they, in turn, can do the same for their customers.
"I'd also like to see a continuing resurgence of brands, which puts value back into the baked goods sector. Also, I'd like consumers to understand and appreciate the baking industry as a provider of healthy staple products, as well as indulgent ones.
"I have no agenda regarding the GM issue. However if, in the future, consumers and the retailers want the food industry to continue to provide products at ever-reducing prices while maintaining quality, it must be a consideration."

Sourdough is typical of artisanal baking: the art of encouraging wild yeast cultures to ferment just at the right time and for so long you could probably read War and Peace. I have worked with many bakers who are so proud to boast of starters that have been in the family business for generations.
The varieties of sourdoughs are unique, depending on the catalyst starter, type of flour used and also geographical location. All these factors will impact on flavour and texture. San Francisco Sourdough is a good example of this, as the wild yeast culture Lactobacillus sanfrancisco in that region gives a sharper, more acetic punch than a typical French levain.
The recipe below is made with an authentic wild yeast starter culture called crème de levain, a ready-made live starter culture ideal for artisanal loaves.

Macadamia nuts are native to Australia but are also cultivated commercially in Hawaii. They are very difficult to crack out of their shells, but are well worth the effort. They have a creamy flavour and crunchy texture, which goes well with semi dried fruits such as cranberries, cherries and blueberries. Although low in carbohydrate, they are quite high in fat. They work well in biscuits such as White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies and can also be added to Brownies and Blondies instead of walnuts.

Richard Hamilton of HamiltonBIG, a creative retail and brand consultancy, reflects on style and substance in shop design

The look of the store obviously needs to reflect your own personal ambitions and being guided by a store designer is certainly of benefit. But of course I would say that.
To begin with, however, you must have your own idea of what style your operation can work within and how you want to be perceived. The role of a good designer is to translate your words into images and ideas, which can be developed into a 3D built store.
One point to constantly bear in mind when thinking about a look is to remember that, at all times, your eyes may well see differently to those of your customers, as design is inherently subjective. Some operators opt for a fashion-led design approach, which is exciting, fresh and fast-moving, but also expensive and short-lived. This requires you to be prepared for regular refreshes and the need to constantly stay in touch with what's new.
The healthy and hearty approach was in vogue a couple of years ago, with Daylesford leading the farm shop revolution. Urban minimal was pioneered by Pret A Manger in the 1980s and EAT softened this with a highly styled timber-and-white approach a decade or so later.
However, the classic approach can be of great success; take Caffè Nero, a classic Italian coffee house, which, in my view, easily outranks Starbucks' watered-down American approach. It's not just the pale blue contrasted with the rich mahogany-style timber, it's also what's behind that façade that adds to the feeling of quality: the coffee, the authenticity and, most importantly, feeling secure both in store and in brand.
The emotion of a store is the ultimate challenge and the look is part of determining this. Once you've encouraged customers through the door, fed them well, offered value for money and they've subliminally recognised the store is clean that's when the emotion needs to kick in.
The store needs to offer more than your competitors, it has to feel safe and conjure positive associations in the customer's mind. The look has to have broad appeal without being bland or niche. It's a fine line but, executed correctly, it is one of the ingredients of success.
richard@hamiltonbig.com
l Next month: how to allocate your budget

Umer Ashraf is a young entrepreneur who owns the Glasgow-based iCafé chain of shops. He recently opened smoothie and juice bar Paradise Bay in Oban, on Scotland's west coast

Heinz Foodservice is to offer Heinz SqueezMe! sauce pods in a variety pack from February. The 80-pod pack will be made up of five different sauces 20 Heinz Mayonnaise, 20 Heinz Garlic Mayo, 20 Heinz Tartare, 10 HP Brown and 10 HP BBQ.
Tal Drori, brand manager for Heinz Foodservice, said the flavours were chosen in response to customer feedback. "For example, customers might easily get through a case of Heinz Tomato Ketchup a week, but might not be able to justify buying a case of Heinz Mayonnaise or HP BBQ Sauce. The Variety Pack allows them to offer more choice during a tough economic climate."
According to an IPSOS Survey, consumers don't mind paying 15p and upwards for a pod of sauce, claimed Heinz.

A new metal detectable elastomer, designed to help bakeries reduce the risk of rubber contamination in bread and other bakery products, has been launched.
Detectaseal is FDA-compliant and has been developed by Precision Polymer Engineering (PPE). Fragments as small as 2mm can be identified by conventional, in-line, metal detection equipment.
The o-ring seals are available as FDA-compliant grades of EPDM, nitrile and fluorocarbon (FKM) elastomers, in blue and black, and in standard and non-standard sizes for use in bakery equipment.

Warburtons has launched new Toasting Muffins this month, and is encouraging retailers to take advantage of the cold weather by offering them to consumers.
The muffins will be available in packs of four, and can be marketed as an alternative breakfast food. They have been gently forked around the middle, so can tear in two with ease.
Muffins currently have a 12.5% share of the traditional breakfast sector, and the category is growing by 8.6% year-on-year in value terms, according to research by AC Nielsen (52 w/e 31.10.09).
The launch will be supported by a media campaign, as well as consumer sampling and couponing activity.

By Max Jenvey of Oxxygen Marketing Partnership, a strategic management agency that delivers business acceleration processes and brand development within the foodservice, bakery and convenience retail sectors

Britvic and PepsiCo's sports drink Gatorade is to launch a year-long on-pack promotion starting this month.
Entitled 'Gatorade Gives Back' it will reward consumers with sports equipment, music downloads, sporting holidays and money-can't-buy experiences. For a chance of winning, consumers need to collect codes, which can then be entered online or via text.
"We hope to get as many people involved as possible with schools, clubs and athletes taking full advantage of the rewards available," commented Adam Draper, Gatorade brand manager.

Crisp and snack manufacturer Walkers has brought four of its single-serve snack brands together under a new '99 Calories or Less' banner.
The range, which will be relaunched with new pack designs, features the Quavers, Wotsits, Squares and French Fries brands. The packets will feature an on-pack flash, flagging up how many calories they contain.
The four brands are worth £177m between them and are growing at around 9% year-on-year. The snacks will be available in cases of 48. Point-of-sale material is also available.

Kingsmill has spotted a gap in the market and filled it with a new smooth loaf, baked with oats and wheat, branded Oatilicious.
The firm said it has looked to what's popular within the breakfast cereal market and has applied it to bread. "Oat-led products, combining the goodness of wholegrain oats with great taste, are already popular in other categories, but Kingsmill Oatilicious is the first branded loaf of its kind in the bread category," said Michael Harris, Kingsmill marketing controller.
Hitting the shelves this month, the loaf will be supported by a £1.3m marketing campaign. Looking at the health trend, research by Kingsmill revealed that 22% of food choices are made with health benefits in mind. However, as Kingsmill believed the health benefits of oats are well-known to consumers, it felt it should concentrate on the 'taste' message when marketing.
The loaf has been developed to fit into the 'healthier white' segment of the market, now worth £186.5m (source: Nielsen).
Taste tests showed consumers' opinion of the product improved once they had tasted it, compared to their perception of what it might be like beforehand.

For once, the national press have been the baker's best friend. This week began with: "Snow crisis: it's panic in the shops" (Daily Express); "Panic buying hits supermarkets" (Daily Mail) and, our favourite, "Grit hits the fan" (predictably, The Sun). With images of barren shelving offering a helpful visual cue to spark anxious consumers into skidding to the shops, sales of bread went through the roof. If bakers gritted their teeth in anticipation of the snow storms, it didn't come from falling flat on their face on the high street.
Difficulties in getting supplies through appeared largely localised and sales of bread in supermarkets shot up 10-15%. "Inevitably there have been a few problems with distribution, with some customers in the Cotswolds difficult to reach, but we are getting through to virtually everyone," said Joe Street, MD of Fine Lady Bakeries, a major supplier to Tesco. "The bigger issue has been people 'panic-buying'. It's always a big week when the kids go back to school, but we've seen orders increase significantly as people stock up because of the snow."
Indeed, the reported panic-buying was overstated and short-lived, but the retailers reported a spike in bread sales. "We haven't seen panic-buying, but people are picking up an extra loaf or two when they shop," said a spokesman for Sainsbury's. "Conditions are challenging, but we have a lot of experience in overcoming logistical issues. Deliveries are getting through and there have been no store closures."
The impacts on trading were mainly felt in staffing bakeries, distributing amid a lottery of gritted and iced roads, getting staff in to open shops and customers failing to make it into work.
"You expect to see a couple of weeks of snow every year we saw two last February," commented Ken McMeikan, CEO of Greggs. "But the severity of the snow this year and the length of time it is set to last is a challenge for all businesses. For some it could be the final straw."

The UK coffee shop sector has remained resilient in recession, despite several key players having gone into administration, according to Allegra Strategies' Project Café9 UK report, but slower growth is forecast for 2010. The market, made up of more than 11,000 outlets, saw growth of 6.2% in 2009, with sales totalling £1.63bn.
Allegra forecasts that 2010 and 2011 will see the total market rise by 4.4% per annum to exceed 12,500 outlets by December 2012.
Looking to the future, Allegra said, "branded coffee chains are expected to outperform the retail sector", as café culture becomes further ingrained in our society. The report also noted the addition of a 'Third Wave' of coffee shops, as an increasing number of artisan independent coffee houses, with an Antipodean coffee culture, are springing up across the country.
Coffee shop operators have noticed a decrease in the frequency of visits from consumers, as well as a decline in like-for-like sales, with average spend down from £3.59 to £3.50. But the top brands have managed to achieve positive comparable store sales growth across the year.
"The study's conclusion is that the UK coffee market is still experiencing strong growth, driven by consumer choice, which reflects our experience in the marketplace." commented Gerry Ford, chairman and chief executive of Caffè Nero.

Coconut: Prices remain at reasonable levels. Given the general bullishness across the market and with coconut in increasing demand across a variety of applications, pricing is more likely to rise than to fall.
Raisins: Prices should have weakened further than they have, yet origin sellers remain cautious in the hope that more markets are generically firmer than weaker.
Sultanas: Mixed messages continue to affect Turkish prices, although the recent trend is firmer than over the past six weeks or so. There are reports that the Turkish crop might "only" be 260,000mt down 25% on last year.
Currants: Greek currant pricing remains stable to firm. It is unlikely that we will see any major market weakness, other than for the UK buyers who may see some recovery in sterling should the euro continue to weaken.
Apricots: The pricing trend on Turkish apricots for the remainder of this season is looking increasingly "bullish". The latest figures show that 45,000mt have been exported so far since the start of the crop, with 10,000mt consumed domestically.
Prunes: Prune pricing has continued to offer good value, with reasonable availability and UK prices seeing the benefit of the generally stronger sterling over the past few months.
l Based on information supplied by RM Curtis

Alex Waugh,
Director general, Nabim
2010 opened with a broad food strategy statement from Defra, 'Food 2030'. This set out targets for the food sector, such as "produce more with fewer resources and fewer carbon emissions", "protect food safety" and develop "informed consumers able to choose and afford healthy food, supported by better labelling and information". Perhaps unsurprisingly, the policy document says relatively little about how these worthy objectives are to be attained. Nevertheless, there is an indication that government will look to its own procurement policies, which may offer opportunities for local suppliers.
Accompanying the document is an analysis (by Defra and the Treasury) of what caused the sharp spike in grain and associated food prices in 2007 and 2008. This considers four main issues: grain stock levels, government intervention through export bans, use of grain for biofuels, and speculation. It concludes that although not to blame individually, the first three of these factors, in combination with poor global wheat harvests, played a part by limiting the supply of grain available for food use. Consequently, prices rose and, because people need to eat, regardless of the price, they rose a long way before demand was reduced. In fact, the situation was eased by the arrival of a very large global wheat crop in 2008. While acknowledging the uncertainties, contrary to popular comment, the paper suggests speculation was not a major cause of the price spike. No quick solutions for prevention of future price spikes are offered; improved agricultural productivity is important, along with a better flow of information to markets. But the old agricultural saying still holds true: "the answer to high prices is high prices."

Lees Foods has defied the recession and announced record sales in 2009, up 13% on 2008. The parent company of Lees of Scotland and Waverley Bakery saw sales from continuing operations hit £18.2m for the year to December 2009, compared to £16.1m for the comparable 2008 period.
In its trading update, the firm said the sales hike was "due to exceptionally strong sales in the lead-up to Christmas" as well as an unexpected increase in the number of customers stocking up in preparation for January promotions. Lees added that its 2009 sales were around 5% ahead of current market forecasts.
"In the current economic climate, our strategy has been to focus on our core operations. This, along with the development of new products allowing us to sell into new categories, has resulted in a record year for sales," said chief executive Clive Miquel.
Lees Foods recently reached a settlement with the directors and shareholders of its former subsidiary Patisserie UK, which will see the Coatbridge-based firm receive approximately £225,000.

Dried food supplier Community Foods is looking to increase its foothold in the bakery ingre-dients market with the appointment of a new managing director and the installation of a new fruit-soaking line.
Martin Rome, formally of Whitworth's, recently took up the position of MD and was joined by another former Whitworth's employee, Joe Erskine, who was responsible for much of the NPD work at bakery level.
Marketing director Paul Moore said the London-based firm does not have a high profile as a bakery ingredients supplier, but as part of its objective to supply at least 10% of the total vine fruit market in the UK by the end of 2010, it is looking to double its sales and customer base in the baking industry.
Currently, around 50-60% of its £50m turnover is derived from sales in the baking sector. "We do have an increasingly significant business in this field and are determined to expand in this area," added Moore. "We recently invested in and installed a very modern fruit-soaking line for vine fruits, which allows bakers to improve quality and shelf-life of product using this material."
The firm procures and supplies organic and natural dried fruits, nuts, seeds, pulses, grains and branded health foods. It also sells everyday household items, such as washing up liquid, Fairtrade footballs, footwear and balloons.

The UK arm of Irish sandwich chain O'Briens' has been bought from administration by a newly formed company.
O'Briens Irish Sandwich Bars (Franchising) UK now operates the brand in the UK, supporting the chain's 101 franchise stores in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The Irish company's UK operation was put into administration last June in an effort to renegotiate rents and restructure the business across its 109 franchise outlets in the UK. It was subsequently bought by the new company.
The O'Briens brand and intellectual property is owned in the Republic of Ireland by Impless, a newly formed subsidiary of fast food group Abrakebabra Invest-ments, which bought the Irish business out of liquidation before Christmas.
In other news, TV chef and author Rachel Allen is to front an O'Briens TV and radio advertising campaign in the Republic of Ireland for Impless. "Rachel will be retained as a creative consultant to O'Briens and, across the year, will create delicious 'Signature Sandwiches', which will be on sale from January 2010 in O'Briens Irish Sandwich Cafés in Ireland," said the company.

Irwin's has expanded its Softee bread range in Northern Irish Asda stores in a deal worth £200k. The Co Armagh firm, which already supplies Asda stores with its classic white Softee, is to add two new additions to the order Softee 100% and Softee Extra Thick. The three variants will now be stocked in all 13 Asda NI stores.
The Softee loaf, launched in June last year, has achieved one million sales in Northern Ireland to date, with overall sales of its pan loaves up 26% in the last quarter. Irwin's commercial controller Michael Murphy said new pro-duct development and continuing diversification were paramount to meeting customers' needs.

Supplies of local and regional bread cannot keep pace with demand in London due to the lack of an effective distribution network, according to a new report, which recommends setting up a regional hub to tackle the problem.
Outside caterers, gastropubs, work canteens and coffee shops ranked bread as the number one local product they most wanted to buy, but hurdles in the supply chain mean this demand is not being met, said the report from Bidwells Agribusiness, which was commissioned by the South East Food Group Partnership.
In total, 53% of London's foodservice and retail buyers would like to buy more local bread and two in three London consumers currently buy or would like to buy more local food. But there is not enough supply in the capital because producers are scared off by distribution challenges, such as the Congestion Charge, parking and heavy traffic. Buyers and producers also find it hard to connect with each other to do business, said the report.
"Many of these are perceived barriers suppliers think that it is difficult to supply into the capital so look elsewhere, but there are solutions to distribution, which are available or could be introduced," said Bidwells' head of food marketing Richard Walters.
A key recommendation of the report is to set up a regional distribution hub for local food, which would incorporate a virtual business-to-business e-marketplace to enable producers, suppliers, buyers and retailers to engage more directly. The report also recommends the development of 10 to 20 street markets as local food beacons across Greater London.
"Our research shows the sheer scale of the opportunity for producers and suppliers in the south east and, by implication, across the UK," said Walters. "Nearly all food buyers and retailers surveyed want greater links to producers, easier sourcing, less hassle, and a one-stop shop."

Borders coffee outlets closed
All 36 Starbucks outlets located in Borders shops in the UK have been forced to close after the book chain's administrator MCR was unable to agree the sale of any part of the business as a going concern. The outlets closed on 22 December and a spokesperson for Starbucks said the firm was "working to temporarily redeploy as many partners as possible to nearby Starbucks stores".

A recently opened Dorchester bakery was forced to sell bread by candlelight, after the energy supplier to the shop's previous tenant cut off the electricity.
Owner Clive Cobb said that npower had turned off the electricity at The Town Mill Bakery shop in Tudor Arcade, South Street, on Tuesday 15 December, as the previous tenant had an unpaid bill outstanding, before reinstating it on 18 December.
The majority of the organic bakery's products are baked at Town Mill's Exeter bakery in Topsham, so the shop was still able to sell fresh bread. "We didn't have any tills and everyone had to dress up, as it was really cold," explained Cobb.
"We're waiting for compensation now, which npower have said they are going to give us," added Cobb, who lost approximately £3,200 in takings during the blackout. "Where we'd normally take around £1,000 a day, we took around £400, so it wasn't a complete disaster," he said.

The Puccino's outlets bought from administration last month are to sell an expanded range of sandwiches and hot savouries as the company looks to consolidate in 2010.
Puccino's Ltd, which had operated 86 franchised and company-owned cafes and coffee kiosks, went into administration last month with 29 units ceasing trade immediately. The company had also previously closed 14 outlets.
The leases for the remaining 43 units, which are all run under franchise, were sold to a newly formed company called Puccino's Worldwide. The firm's operations director Tony Brogden told British Baker that Puccino's had gone into administration because of the "appalling" economic climate. "We are looking to consolidate the business in 2010 and grow turnover for our franchisees," he said.
To help achieve this, Puccino's is currently in talks with its bakery suppliers about developing a new range of sandwiches, hot savouries and pies, as well as introducing healthier and gluten-free items, said Brogden. "Most of our outlets are at travel locations such as railway stations, so we are looking to develop our grab-and-go range," he added.
The company is also looking to open more franchised outlets in the UK as well as internationally, with interest already expressed from a party in Egypt, and mainland Europe a possible target, said Brogden.
In its accounts for the year ended 31 December 2008, Puccino's saw a loss before tax of approximately £1.66m on turn-over of nearly £4.1m.

Doughnut Week date
The date of National Doughnut Week 2010 has been announced as 8-15 May. The fundraising event, sponsored by CSM UK (previously BakeMark UK) raises money for The Children's Trust through the sale of doughnuts. Bakers give a donation to the charity for every doughnut sold.

Consumers appear to have dug deep into their pockets this Christmas, with the industry reporting sales holding up well over the festive period compared with the previous year.
Craft baker John Smith, with two shops near Aberdeen, told British Baker: "Christmas trading was very good ahead of last year. The sale of Christmas cakes has mainly gone to the supermarkets, so we have been promoting a rich currant loaf and savoury products such as cheese straws. We pushed hard to compensate for the loss of cake sales and it worked."
David Gunn of Gunns Bakery in Bedfordshire said Christmas trading had held up quite well. "I'm not sure that mince pies have gone as well as usual," he said, but added that other Christmas products, such as chocolate logs, sold well.
The latest TNS figures on the UK grocery market also cast a positive light on trading over the Christmas period. For the 12 weeks to 27 December 2009, the major multiples achieved higher sales than the comparable figures in 2008. Waitrose saw a large sales rise up 16.5%. Meanwhile, The Co-operative's sales were up 13.1%, Morrisons rose by 10.3% and Sainsbury's sales increased by 6.9%.

Melton Mowbray pork pie company Chappell's Fine Foods has gone into liquidation just six months after it was taken over by a new owner with ambitious plans to expand sales.
The factory in Wigston, Leicester, closed suddenly before Christmas, leaving its 12 employees out of work and its customers frantically searching for alternative supplies during the year's busiest trading period. CBA Insolvency Practitioners has since been appointed as liquidator.
Founded in 1972 by David Chappell, the company was taken over last May by former Rank Hovis and Associated British Foods high-flier Ian Nicholls, who said he planned to double the company's workforce and more than triple its £750,000 turnover (see British Baker, 5 Jun). David Chappell's son Phil and granddaughter Lisa continued to work at the factory, which also made savouries and other meat pies.
According to local newspaper reports, several members of staff confronted Nicholls outside the factory at the beginning of January over claims that they were still owed wages.
According to the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, value sales among its members grew by 8% in the past year.

Cooplands (Doncaster) and Coopland & Son (Scarborough) are on the verge of signing a joint deal to buy 22 of Ainsleys' 29 shops out of administration.
The two companies, which are separate businesses with different sets of shareholders, but which have family links, are understood to have collaborated on and agreed a joint bid with administrator Grant Thornton. It would see Cooplands of Doncaster acquire 12 stores in the city and southern perimeter of Leeds, while Coopland & Son of Scarborough would buy 10 stores in the area to the east and north of Leeds.
An industry source said the companies joined forces in a bid to strengthen their chances of agreeing a deal, giving the administrator the opportunity to sell the majority of Ainsleys' retail estate in one go. The acquisition is set to be formally completed later this month.
The remaining seven Ainsleys stores are likely to be sold off to other buyers, with Greggs previously voicing its interest in some of the outlets. It is thought the central bakery in Leeds will be sold separately.
Family business Ainsleys of Leeds, which employs nearly 300 people, went into administration in November, due to the pressure from declining sales and increased competition. It has continued to trade, as administrators look for a buyer.
"Ainsleys won't be the last bakery business to have over-stretched itself in the current climate," said the source. "Consolidation in the sector will continue in the coming year with trading on the high street still very tough."

Food plan unveiled
Last week, the Government published its new food strategy, Food 2030, which sets out its goals for long-term food security and sustainability. One of the main aims of the strategy is for well-informed consumers to be able to choose healthy and affordable food, produced and supplied by highly skilled, profitable and resilient farming, fishing and food businesses. To view the strategy visit: www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/ food/strategy.

McCambridge has announced that it intends to close two of its own-label division factories as part of its strategy to streamline the business.
Group commercial director Neil Fraser said Lisa Bakery in Oldham, which produces predominantly Swiss- and mini rolls, and William Lusty in Heywood, Lancashire, which manufactures slab cakes, have "physical constraints" that do not facilitate economic growth.
"It is proposed to transfer the production at these sites to other north west-based manufacturing facilities within the own-label division of the McCambridge group," said Fraser. "We're not walking away from these products, we're just going to move them, and obviously this will require staffing at the other sites."

North East Bakery has folded with "nearly all" its 120 staff made redundant only days before Christmas.
The Newcastle-based firm, run by entrepreneur Greg Phillips, went into administration on 22 December after costly rebranding plans and "a disappointing trading performance" in recent months saw the firm's liquidity hit hard. Phillips was unavailable for comment.
The administrator Pricewater-houseCoopers (PWC) said it is looking to sell the business and assets of the company, comprising a 20,000sq ft bakery in Newburn, Newcastle upon Tyne and 13 retail units, for the benefit of creditors. "On appointment almost all of the company's 120 employees were made redundant," said the administrators, with a limited number kept on to assist PWC realise the sale.
The firm was established by Phillips former North East Young Business Person of the Year and former director Andrew Cotterell in 2004, from the buy-out of Chapel Bakery and Patisserie. It later acquired assets from Milligans Bakery of 15 shops and its Newburn bakery in 2007.
In August 2009, British Baker reported on North East Bakery's plans to grow its Nichols brand, with the opening of two new shops by 2010. At this time it had a turnover of approximately £3.4m a year and around 30% of its business was wholesale. As British Baker went to press it had been reported that bakery and coffee shop firm Milligans, which leased a number of outlets to North East Bakery, has safeguarded the jobs of its 200 staff by transferring its business to a new holding company. The Milligans business currently comprises 13 coffee shops, three bakeries and a butcher's.
MD Stephen Milligan was quoted on nebusiness.co.uk as saying, "Sites that were originally leased from us, have now reverted back to us as fixed overheads. We have had to transfer the assets of the business to a new vehicle to protect us from liabilities." Liabilities were said to be in the region of £300,000 a year.

Memory Lane Cakes has confirmed that, following the conclusion of its consultation, 95 workers at its factory in Cardiff are to be made redundant.
The firm, part of Finsbury Food Group, entered into a period of consultation on 3 December 2009 on changes to shift patterns at the premium cake manufacturer. Finsbury had said it was looking to change production from seven to five days a week, with 95 out of Memory Lane's 1,000 staff at risk of losing their jobs.
A joint statement from Memory Lane and the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union, announced: "Despite efforts from both management and the union to find alternative solutions, it is with regret that the proposed redundancies will go ahead.
"These redundancies are being made to protect the viability of the business going forward."

London chain Wenzel's has opened a trial kiosk outlet at London's Baker Street station this week as it explores new routes to market. The 600sq ft outlet, which opened on 14 January, sells a range of food-to-go items and is open from 6am to 9pm, seven days a week.
The 16-shop Wenzel's chain was expecting to open around six kiosks at stations over the next year, following the deal with Transport for London. Chief executive Peter Wenzel was also looking at airport sites.
Wenzel commented: "One must not be afraid. The recession affects everyone, but you always have to consider new avenues for expansion, looking at trends for the future."
Wenzel's is also eyeing six new shop openings in 2010.

Bread sales spiked in the past two weeks as snow covered the UK and the population stocked up on loaves amid media reports of panic-buying.
A spokesman for Sainsbury's said sales of bread were up 15% in the first three days of January's snowfall. Tesco's bread supplier similarly noted a rise in bread orders. "Volumes are up by 10%, but once the snow goes I'm sure we'll see sales drop off," confirmed Joe Street of own-label bread supplier Fine Lady Bakeries, based in Oxfordshire.
Caroline Kellett, customer category manager at Warburtons, said that while the snow had caused problems for drivers, orders were getting through. "One of our delivery drivers, Paul Aspen, went to the aid of another Warburtons vehicle, which was in distress and helped to dig him out of 18cm of snow so that both could make their deliveries. The other vehicle was 20 miles away and both drivers ended up working a 14-hour shift," she said.
Shane Brennan, public affairs director at the Association of Convenience Stores, added: "What we have heard is bread supply is holding up incredibly well and suppliers are doing a great job to get products on shelf."
l See News Insight, pg 14

Greggs held on to its position as the country's largest bakery retailer by the narrowest margin in British Baker's expanded BB75 league table for 2010.
The chain currently has 1,419 UK shops, just 10 more than sandwich chain Subway. The latter opened 125 sites last year, closing the 119 store gap a year ago to just 10. Last January, Subway predicted it would overtake Greggs by summer 2009.
Greggs' chief executive Ken McMeikan said he was delighted to maintain Greggs' position as the nation's largest bakery retailer, particularly in view of Subway's ambitious targets.
Greggs plans to open a net 50-60 shops this year as it steps up expansion, with a target of 600-plus extra shops in the UK. "It is important to focus on the quality of the shops, this is not a race for space," said McMeikan. "When we sign a contract, it is usually for 10 years, with a break at five years. We want to find really good-quality units as we are in it for the long term."
Subway development agent Neil Black said he was pleased with the pace of store development, "achieved despite the recession and a tightening of available finance". Subway had also taken advantage of the competitive property market to relocate and redevelop a number of stores, he added.
The expanded BB75 league table formerly the BB Top 50 covers the 75 biggest bakery retailers in the UK. The table shows Costa Coffee (at number three) was the fastest-growing coffee chain in the UK, adding 185 sites over 2009.
Among the big losers in 2009 were BB's Coffee & Muffins and Coffee Republic. Both went into administration and significantly reduced their number of franchises. The new list also sees many traditional bakers holding steady and even expanding amid difficult economic conditions.
l Greggs' sales in the Christmas week were up 6.5% and like-for-like growth was 4.4%. It also saw a 3.1% rise in total sales for the four weeks to 26 December 2009. The chain sold more than one million mince pies a week, up 6% on last year. Demand for savouries was strong, with like-for-like sales up 10% and sales of its Christmas festive bakes up 23% on 2008 figures.

Plan for Europain
Europain will take place over five days, March 6-10, at its usual home Parc des Expositions, Paris-Nord Villepinte in Halls 1-4. Hours are 9.30am to 6.30pm each day. Bakery and pastry form the largest sections of the show, with manufacturers, millers and equipment suppliers exhibiting. It runs alongside the Intersuc chocolate show for all things chocolate-related. For registration and further details, see: www.europain.com

Northern Foods has announced a solid Christmas trading performance, with “good growth” in its Bakery and Chilled divisions.

Greggs held on to its position as the UK’s largest bakery retailer by the narrowest margin in British Baker’s new BB75 league table for 2010.

Greggs’ sales in the Christmas week were up 6.5% and like-for-like sales grew 4.4%, as the high-street bakery chain served around a quarter of million customers more than in the comparable week last year.

The firm also saw a 3.1% rise in total sales for the four weeks to 26 December 2009.

Greggs sold more than one million mince pies a week over the festive period, up 6% on last year, which it said was helped by the launch of its new Viennese mince pie.

Demand for savouries was also strong, with like-for-like sales up 10% and sales of its Christmas festive bakes up 23% on 2008 figures.

Chief executive Ken McMeikan said he very pleased with Greggs performance, “particularly over Christmas”.

“We remain positive about our growth opportunities as we begin our programme of accelerated expansion to make the unique Greggs proposition accessible to many more consumers throughout the UK,” he added.

The company expects to add 50 - 60 shops to its portfolio this year.

Greggs’ sales in the Christmas week were up 6.5% and like-for-like sales grew by 4.4%, as the high-street bakery chain served around a quarter of million customers more than in the comparable week last year.

McCambridge has announced it intends to close two of its own-label division factories as part of its strategy to streamline the business.

The latest TNS figures on the UK grocery market cast a positive light on trading over the Christmas period. For the 12 weeks to 27 December 2009, the major multiples achieved higher sales than the comparable figures in 2007.

Memory Lane Cakes has confirmed that following the conclusion of its consultation, 95 workers at its factory in Cardiff are to be made redundant.

A recently opened Dorchester bakery was forced to sell bread by candlelight after the energy supplier to the shop’s previous tenant cut off the shop’s electricity.

The Government today published its new food strategy, Food 2030, which sets out its goals for long-term food security and how it will be achieved.