New research by Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is set to uncover how much waste is generated by pre-packed sandwiches. It is the first big study into the amount of waste in the UK retail supply chain created by pre-prepared food and aims to identify how this can be reduced, so that businesses can make cost and environmental savings.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says it now wants cakes, puddings and yogurts to carry front of the pack nutritional labels, even as it climbs down on key stipulations of its ill-starred traffic lghts labelling initiative.

Co Donegal bakery company Galard Teo, which trades as Gallagher’s Bakery, has received an €0.8m investment from government agency Údaráis na Gaeltachta for new product development. The cash injection will fund 36 new jobs over the next three years, bringing the job total in the bakery to 207.

Lancashire bakery chain Halls has unveiled plans to expand via a network of stand-alone regional hubs, as a reponse to the issues of food miles and sustainability.

A new association has been formed to boost the profile of regional foods in the UK.

The UK's biggest coffee chain Costa will this week launch a points-based reward card for customers to use across food and drink purchases.

French frozen food manufacturer Traiteur de Paris has announced it will be "following the fashion" by launching a range of cupcakes.

Despite an overly ambitious expansion plan last year, Esquires Coffee Houses is still aiming for growth in 2010, with 10 new franchise outlets on the cards.

Wild Bean Café has expanded the range of bakery products served at its 230 stores in BP petrol stations.

Warburtons has insisted that its surprise entry into the snacking market, announced last week, would not distract it from its core bakery product development.

British soft drinks manufacturer Britvic and PepsiCo UK is to launch what they are calling "the biggest pack innovation that the market has seen in over 15 years".

Greencore Cake & Desserts has confirmed that up to 100 jobs could go at its Hull plant after it lost a major contract.

Pret A Manger has taken more steps towards its goal to be represented at all major airports across the UK, after securing locations at Birmingham and London City airports.

Premier Foods has announced strong growth for Hovis' branded bakery, and plans to push for further sales of white bread.

Crantock Bakery has launched new breakfast pasties, to cater for busy consumers who want to eat-on-the-go. The new 'Breakfast Bites' have been developed following retailer feedback requesting a broader range of products. The pasty will be available in two variants: sausage, cheese and baked beans or smoked bacon, beans and cheese.

ADM Milling is supporting bakers in the run-up to Easter with a 'baker's dozen' offer, whereby customers will receive a free bag of ADM Bun Mix for every 12 purchased.

Easy Glove is to launch a new product for the foodservice market to help businesses provide a practical, hygienic and fast way to serve customers.

Wheat exports

plans new mega-bakery

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.

SIAB, the Italian bakery show, will take place at Verona in the Veronafiere showground from May 22-26.

Barton Fabrications is promoting the use of its high-specification sugar and flour silos to bakeries in the UK.

Haiti fundraiser

Packaging technology company Sirane has developed a new type of microwave material for foodservice packaging, which can be used for crisping-up hot paninis, baguettes and pasties.

Royston's Traditional Bakery in Long Stratton has enlisted a 'business doctor' to help grow its bakery and coffee shop.

Anne's Patisserie in Flint is to expand the business in 2010, following two gold wins at last year's Great Taste Awards. Its Sticky Chocolate Pudding with Rich Belgian Chocolate Sauce achieved three-star gold, while its Sticky Date and Ginger Pudding was awarded one-star gold.

Daily Bread has revamped its offer, introducing new ranges, new packaging and display materials, as well as setting up a seven-day-a-week national delivery service and launching its new website.

Espresso machine manufacturer Rancilio has added new full-size 2-group and 3-group models to its range of Class 6 Tall machines. These have additional head room between the drip tray and the group head to cater for demand for larger drink cups up to 20fl oz and have been designed with high-street take-aways and coffee shops in mind.

Wales-to-London link

Premier Foods has announced that up to 98 jobs are at risk at Hovis' Wigan bakery, with proposals for the closure of its roll plant.

Following its success in 2009, British Baker is pleased to announce the official launch of National Craft Bakers' Week 2010, which will run from 7-12 June.

Premier Foods, whose stable of brands includes Mr Kipling and Hovis, will launch a major on-pack initiative across all of its brands in March.

Greggs kicked off the year with a new £4m marketing campaign. The TV advert features Greggs' employees and a new strapline 'The Home of Fresh Baking'.

Gelders Bakery has just signed a deal with Tesco to sell its pies and sausage rolls in at least 20 shops.

Morrisons is taking on another bumper crop of apprentices this year, signalling it intends to continue championing craft baking.

Bakery buyer sought

This year, housing and homelessness charity Shelter is holding its annual baking fundraiser in March.

The leading pressure group calling for lower salt levels in food has blasted high street bakery retailers for failing to seriously reduce salt levels in soups, with high street chain EAT coming in for the most flak.

The Real Bread Campaign has announced it will be organising the first ever National Real Bread Maker Week from 1-9 May, to encourage people to re-engage with home baking and to dust off one of the nation’s most neglected kitchen appliances.

Premier Foods, whose stable of brands includes Mr Kipling and Hovis, will launch a major on-pack initiative across all of its brands in March.

One baker’s pepper pasties have become an internet hit, after pasty lovers set up an online fan club on Facebook.

Gelders Bakery has just signed a deal with Tesco to sell its pies and sausage rolls in at least 20 shops.

Warburtons has announced it is moving into the snack market with the launch of two new ranges – ChippidyDooDaa Pitta Chips and SnackaDoodle Wholegrain Snacks.

Maple Leaf subsidiary Canada Bread has announced that its new C$100 million mega-bakery will be in Hamilton, Canada.

United Biscuits has launched a £2million marketing campaign for its snack brand Phileas Fogg, which includes new pack designs and new television advertising to start mid-February.

Pret A Manger has taken three steps towards its goal to be represented at all major airports across the UK, after securing locations at Birmingham airport.

Premier Foods has announced strong growth for Hovis’ branded bakery, and plans to push for increased sales of white bread.

Anne’s Patisserie in Flint has announced plans to expand the business in 2010, following two gold wins at last year’s Great Taste Awards.

Royston’s Traditional Bakery in Long Stratton has enlisted the help of a ‘business doctor’ to help grow its bakery and coffee shop business.

Premium milkshake firm Shaken Udder has added a new flavour to its line-up Caramoo. The new velvety caramel variety joins Top Banana, Strawberry Stash, Chocolush & Shake The Cake.

Exosect, a pest management solution provider, has launched an environmentally-friendly, zero-residue moth control system for use in food production sites. Exosex SPTab is an organic compliant, non-chemical solution, designed to ensure safe, high-quality food with reduced pesticide residues, said the firm.

Jiffy Trucks has unveiled a new mobile catering van for 2010. The Panino has been designed to appeal to new entrants and smaller businesses in mobile retail catering.

The vast majority of bakeries, cafés and convenience stores offer sandwiches as part of their product range. The sandwich is one of the UK's favourite foods-to-go, with over 60% of customers wanting pre-packed, freshly made or heat & eat.

Premier Foods' cake brand Lyons has launched a new range of Teashop Classic Cakes to capitalise on teatime eating occasions. The cakes will be available in St Clements, classic choc chip and sultana and cherry variants. According to the firm, large ambient cakes are a key driver of the cakes and pastries category, a growing area in sweet bakery occasions at teatime. Thirty-four per cent of Lyons' cakes are eaten at teatime, according to Premier Foods.

Cheshire-based Roberts Bakery has been working with Masternaut to monitor and manage its 70-strong fleet, which delivers bread and pastry products across the UK. It will be using the latest satellite tracking technology Masternaut Three X's vehicle tracking service, which provides real-time and recorded data, enabling Roberts to optimise its delivery schedule and routes.

West Cornwall Pasty Co has given its customers the chance to buy its pasties in a frozen format to take away and bake at home. The move comes on the back of customer requests to be able to purchase the pasties to eat when they want.

You thought the salt debate had gone away? Think again! Judging by events last week, the political will is not about to wane (well, at least not until 6 May).

Concerns about the environment are well down the list of consumers' concerns about the future, according to research from AC Nielsen, presented at a recent Food and Drink Innovation Network summit.

Pine nuts: Pine nut prices have remained at incredibly high levels since the last report with a growing sense of further supply issues as the season progresses. With a weaker sterling, dwindling supply and a strong demand for seeds overall, it is difficult to see where any respite can come from other than a wholesale defection away from what has effectively become a punishingly expensive commodity.

Pork Farms gets Gist

Despite all the gloom of the recession, evidence suggests that sandwich sales are doing well, with sales up by some 3% in volume year-on-year.

Hovis has launched a £5m television advertising campaign to support its move to using 100% British wheat in its loaves last month.

Bakery is expected to be at the cutting edge of the Fairtrade movement this year, as products made with multiple Fairtrade ingredients take centre stage.

Global bakery products supplier CSM has reached an agreement to acquire US bakery manufacturer Best Brands for a cash consideration of $510m.

The price of bread around the world went up last year and is set to continue rising, despite the global financial downturn, according to new research.

Fifteen backs learning

A new craft bakery apprenticeship, set up by a group of south west bakers in conjunction with their local college, made the headlines when student Adam Greenaway was named as winning Bakery Apprentice.

Warburtons is to spend £10m on a new advertising campaign, only weeks after it revealed a £25m investment programme at its Bolton bakery.

Europain approaches

Bakery manufacturers using imported eggs in their products could be risking their reputation after new research found consumers were "dismayed" to discover foreign eggs are regularly used in British-made food.

A leading anti-salt crusader has criticised the Food Standards Agency's (FSA's) failure to support potassium-based alterna-tives to sodium chloride in food.

Essex-based cake and dessert manufacturer Raven Patisserie has moved to a new purpose-built production site in Witham.

The Alliance for Bakery Students and Trainees' (ABST) Annual Conference is to be held at the Alton Towers Hotel, Alton Towers, from 11-13 June.

Leicestershire-based Geary's Bakeries is to relocate to a new site and double production of its loaves, following a £1m investment.

Date set for BIA

Despite the volume and value growth of branded bread in the UK last year, alternatives such as wraps, croissants, bagels and chapattis are becoming increasingly popular as sandwich carriers, according to Tesco.

A new firm The Pembrokeshire Pasty & Pie Co has announced plans to open outlets nationwide, in a bid to challenge the Cornish pasty with its own Pembrokeshire variant. The first outlet will open in Tenby on 1 March, and will be followed by another in central Cardiff this summer.

Craft bakery chain Ainsleys has been broken up and sold off to various buyers, with Country Style Foods acquiring the company's central bakery and trading name, and Cooplands (Doncaster) and Coopland & Son (Scarborough) sharing most of the retail outlets.

Leicestershire-based Geary’s Bakeries is to relocate to a new site and double production of its loaves, following a £1m investment.

Savoury pastry brand Ginsters has launched a new national television campaign for 2010, as part of its £3.5 million media spend this year.

A new firm – The Pembrokeshire Pasty & Pie Co – has announced plans to open outlets nationwide, in a bid to challenge the Cornish pasty with its own Pembrokeshire variant. The first outlet will open in Tenby on 1 March, and will be followed by another in central Cardiff this summer.

A cake designer from Surrey has organised a fundraising event – Cakes For Haiti – in order to raise money for the country following the earthquake last month.

Bakery manufacturers using imported eggs in their products could be risking their reputation after new research found consumers were “dismayed” to discover foreign eggs are regularly used in British-made food.

Buyers have been found for the vast majority of Leeds-based Ainsleys, which went into administration in November, with Country Style Foods acquiring the company's central bakery and brand.

Hovis has launched a £5m television advertising campaign to support its move to using 100% British wheat in its loaves last month.

Ireland’s only dedicated kosher bagel bakery, Rosie’s Broadway Bagels, has teamed up with the country’s third-largest plant baker, Pat the Baker, to dual-brand three existing varieties.

Global bakery product supplier CSM has reached an agreement to acquire US bakery manufacturer Best Brands for a cash consideration of $510m.

Warburtons has announced its new environmental policy, which identifies the family firm’s key areas of focus for 2010 and beyond.

The London regional heat for the World Barista Championship has had to be doubled in size due to a surge of interested competitors this year.

To mark National Apprenticeship Week (1-5 February), the head baker at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant in London has teamed up with the Real Bread Campaign to highlight the importance of bakery apprenticeships.

Essex-based cake and dessert manufacturer Raven Patisserie has moved to a new purpose-built production site in Witham.

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 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.

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.

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.

Bristol-based pie maker Pieminister is to launch ‘Big Pie Night’ – a pie menu solution which it claims can help pubs and bars achieve a gross profit of over 60%.

Finsbury Foods has appointed Stephen Boyd as its new group finance director, with immediate effect. Boyd has previously held key positions at WT Foods, Noon Products and Golden Wonder, where he worked alongside current Finsbury chief executive John Duffy.

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).

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.

Premier Foods’ Hovis division saw positive growth in branded bakery last year, but retailer brand bakery and milling sales fell throughout 2009.

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.