Plums in old recipes mean currants rather than plums. Plum cakes were popular and there are a variety of recipes to choose from. This one comes from The Experienced English Housewife by Elizabeth Raffald, which was first published in 1769. Raffald was an impressively busy woman. She worked as a housekeeper for 15 years before moving to Manchester. There, she ran a confectioner's shop, where round plum cakes were part of the daily offering to customers.

Saffron cakes have traditionally been made in Devon and Cornwall, especially around Easter when they are eaten with clotted cream on Good Friday.

VW Caddy Van

Cereal ingredient specialist Edme has announced the commissioning of a Satake ESM Alphascan Colour Sorter at its plant in Mistley, Essex.

Dipix Europe has installed an advanced automated inspection system at Lantmannen Unibake's bakery plant in Örebro, Sweden. The online machine vision system inspects hamburger buns at high speed, measuring a range of critical 3D parameters and removing any defective buns.

The compact Omega Depositor, part of a range of confectionery depositors from Mono Equipment, enables bakers to simply and accurately control deposit shape and amount, says the company. The depositor is faster than by hand and guarantees consistency, it adds.

Thermo Fisher SCIENTIFIC has introduced the Thermo Scientific Powerx - a new line of high-performance X-ray systems for the baking industry.

The next generation of combi ovens has arrived with the launch of the new Henny Penny SmartCombi, available in the UK from equipment supplier ServEquip.

Polin has introduced the Multidrop Junior into the UK market.

The full range of Hoshizaki's compact counter fridges and freezers are now available with drawers. Depending on storage requirements, doors and drawers can be supplied.

The latest version of Rational's SelfCooking Center is designed specifically for products as varied as biscuits, cookies, pizza, pies and bread. All you need to do is push the button to tell the oven what you're baking, shut the door and let it get on with the job, says the company.

The Delfield SADIA range of Gastronorm single- and double-door upright fridges has been revamped to include a Mono-Bloc system.

The new Gasman CO2 detector from Crowcon, a Halma company, is small, light and easy to use.

The new range of ETI ThermaData loggers are designed for use in a wide range of environments - from chill cabinets to refrigerated lorries.

The Atlanta gastronorm range of fridges and freezers from Apuro has been re-designed to significantly improve operating efficiency, cut down on energy use and increase internal storage space, says the company.

Reducing the costs of the bread-making process while maintaining quality has been of great benefit to one Kent-based organic baker.

Food from Britain (FFB) will be promoting British regional food and drink to both UK and international buyers through its presence at IFE07 (stand NH 1755).