All British Baker articles in June 2008
View all stories from this issue.
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News
Tough times hit Brace’s Bakery
Brace’s bakery will be making some of its staff redundant as it restructures its business in response to challenging market conditions. The redundancies could hit staff across both of its plants in Crumlin, Newport in south Wales. A spokeswoman said: "The slowing economy and increasing manufacturing costs, such as spiralling fuel and wheat prices for us, has been well-publicised. There has been a huge impact on business and we are no exception. "We have had to review our costs and restructure some parts of the business and, as a result, unfortunately there will be several redundancies across the business over the next few weeks. "At this time, we are considering all vacancies within the business so that we may re-deploy the people affected and avoid a redundancy situation, if possible." Brace’s said redundancies were a last resort for the business.
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Asda sells 50p bloomer
Asda is to sell its large white bloomer for 50p as part of a cut-price promotion this weekend.The 800g bloomer – which usually retails for £1.09 – is one of 10 products being sold for 50p until Sunday. Other goods include fruit, salad ingredients, own-brand sausages, eggs and butter. Asda ...
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McDonald’s introduces regional pricing
McDonald’s is to vary the amount it charges for food depending on the location of each outlet. The changes are being implemented in response to increasing prices of products such as bread, milk and beef. A spokesperson for McDonald’s told British Baker: “McDonald’s food bill is increasing and like other ...
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Welsh food skills group launched
Ingredients supplier Beacon Foods has joined forces with a group of academics and food industry professionals with the aim of developing food industry skills within Wales.The new group, Food Industry Skills Strategy Group, will oversee and direct the Food Industry Skills Project. Other members in the group include leading food ...
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Selenium project results ’encouraging’
Research on fortifying UK wheat with selenium through the use of fertilisers has been encouraging, according to project leader Dr Martin Broadley.The project, dubbed BAGELS, is a “farm to fork” project sponsored by DEFRA and aimed at establishing whether selenium-containing fertilisers can be used without damaging the environment.According to the ...
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Proper Cornish to supply Sainsbury’s
Proper Cornish Food Company, has won a major contract with Sainsbury’s, which will see them supply the supermarket with a Taste the difference, Traditional Cornish Pasty. The pasty, handmade in Cornwall, will be available in stores nationwide from summer, and has been produced using locally sourced ingredients where possible. Commenting ...
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Kate’s Cakes launches free-from products
Kate’s Cakes has added three new cereal bars to its You Can! range. A Dairy Free Muesli bar, Wheat Free Nut ‘N’ choc bar and Dairy & Gluten Free Fruit & Seed bar join the existing range of dairy, gluten, wheat-free and low-fat cakes. The bars come individually wrapped in ...
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Ainsleys grows delivery fleet
Leeds-based bakery chain Ainsleys’ delivery service has grown from a single van a year ago to a fleet of 10 this month and has recorded turnover of £1.5 million, according to sales and marketing director James Ainsley.He told British Baker that the Ainsley Delivers vans had been “very successful” and ...
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Baking Industry Awards: early-bird offer ending
The last day for early bird booking for the 2008 Baking Industry Awards is Monday 30 June, so make sure you book your table now! The early bird offer means tables cost £1,600 plus VAT for a table of 10 (normally £1,750 + VAT) and £1,920 for a table of ...
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Tesco: own-label revamp
Tesco has revamped its bakery packaging and displays. The new look, which is being rolled out to stores from this week, covers packaging and point of sale and in-store fixtures and fittings.The revamp will more clearly differentiate Tesco’s standard range from its more expensive products. It will not affect Tesco’s ...
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Starbucks/SSP deal: London plans
Starbucks Coffee Company and food travel experts SSP have agreed a deal which will see SSP open more than 150 Starbucks stores in Europe over the next three years. The outlets will be established in “prime travel locations”, and SSP hopes to open the first ones within London train stations ...
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Sales up for Costa
Costa Coffee has reported a “positive start” to the financial year, with sales up 28.4% in the 13 weeks to 29 May.Owner Whitbread said the coffee chain had benefitted from a “rapid expansion programme which has seen the total number of units increase year-on-year by 289 to 1,051”. Like-for-likes were ...
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Grahams’ charity link-up
Grahams Bakery in Dromore, Northern Ireland, has announced a partnership with charity Barnardo’s. As part of the bakery’s corporate and social responsiblity programme it has launched promotion packs to raise funds for the charity and has involved staff by encouraging them to fund raise at events. “We are constantly looking ...
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Mr Kipling: Cake Bites launched
Mr Kipling has launched a range of Cake Bites. The Premier Foods brand is aiming to capitalise on the growing market for sharing and special treat eating occasions with its new offering. Mr Kipling Cake Bites come in three flavours - Caramel, Lemon and Strawberry & Vanilla, available from this ...
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National forum for bakery trainers
Major bakery trainers have pledge their support for a national Colleges and Trainers Forum.The meeting will take place at Sheffield College on 30 June. Acting chairman and organiser Chris North, a bakery lecturer at the college, told British Baker that bakery training has reached a crunch point, with confusion over ...
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FSA action on irradiated yeast
The Food Standards Agency has taken action to stop the sale of a number of products which contain dried irradiated yeast from China, in breach of UK regulations. The products recalled include some batches of Snacks Unlimited’s Weight Watchers Smokey Bacon Corn Bites and Burton’s Snackrite Mini Cheese Thins, Mini ...
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Costa Foundation day raises £150,000
Costa Coffee’s first national Foundation Day raised £150,000, which will be donated to coffee growing communities. Profits generated in its 700 stores on 14 June are being donated to The Costa Foundation today, and will go towards building five new schools in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Uganda.The charity was set ...
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Welsh food skills group launched
Ingredients supplier, Beacon Foods, has joined forces with a group of academics and food industry professionals with the aim of developing food industry skills in the country.The new group, Food Industry Skills Strategy Group, will oversee and direct the Food Industry Skills Project. Other members in the group include leading ...
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Drury Tea & Coffee Company goes green
London-based Drury Tea & Coffee Company is giving its customers the option of buying its roasted coffee beans in 12kg biodegradable hessian sacks rather than 10 x 1kg foil bags in a cardboard outer. The company says the move will help the environment and reduce the cost of the product ...
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View from the show
Marco Olmi, at The Drury Tea & Coffee Company, said Caffè Culture at London’s Olympia last month was one of his favourite exhibitions and Drury has attended all three shows so far. "The high standards have been maintained by the organisers this year with good visitor numbers attending. We find ...