All Latest News articles – Page 622

  • News

    Single qualification for N/SVQs

    2006-12-08T00:00:00Z

    NVQ and SVQ qualifications for the food and drink industry are being replaced by an umbrella title: N/SVQ Food Manufacture.The change follows a two-year consultation period by Improve, the food & drink sector skills council, and will become effective in the spring of 2007. At Levels 2 and 3, the ...

  • News

    Premier’s RHM plans

    2006-12-08T00:00:00Z

    Innovation and investment were promised by Premier Foods after it took over RHM, which comprises milling, bread and cakes businesses, for £1.2bn this week.Premier’s chief executive Robert Schofield told British Baker: "This acquisition transforms our scale and we believe it will enable us to be a better partner with our ...

  • News

    Oliver Adams’ waste scheme

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    Northampton-based baker Oliver Adams is sending its food waste to be turned into energy, in addition to its existing recycling programme.Instead of paying £40 per tonne to send its food waste to landfill, waste management company F&R Cawley is now picking it up and sending it for mixing with ...

  • News

    Maple Leaf moves to add value in UK

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    Maple Leaf Bakery UK has bought the French Croissant Company (FCC) and Avance (UK) as it expands its operations.The deal, which completed on Monday, gives it a total of six sites in the UK and will allow it to develop its UK bakery business, deputy MD Guy Hall told British ...

  • News

    Hampshires buys rival Coombs out of administration

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    Leicestershire-based Hampshires has bought Coombs Bakeries, its biggest local competitor, out of administration.The acquisition means the 106-year old Hampshires chain has increased its estate by 14 shops to a total of 31.Hampshires’ MD Keith Baxter said: "It would have been a terrible blow to see this Leicestershire icon fall by ...

  • News

    Reporting in, Alison Ward, communications director, BCCCA

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    It’s difficult to open the papers without reading another story about the growing obesity problem in the UK. The good news is that the latest data from TNS suggests people are looking to improve their diets, with more people choosing foods for health reasons.Many manufacturers have already responded by ...

  • News

    Bakery Services woe

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    Bakery Services has revealed "disappointing" results, with its six-month statement to 30 September 2006 showing pre-tax losses of over £80,000.Bakery Services operates the in-store bakeries business Inbake at Co-op shops as well as Don Millers’ franchise and company-managed cafés.Turnover was up from £1.588m (2005) to £1.598m (2006). But pre-tax losses ...

  • News

    Fight between two Fine Lady staff ends in fatal stabbing

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    A man has been stabbed to death after two employees got into a fight in the car park of Fine Lady Bakeries in Banbury.Police were called to the bakery at 2.34am on Monday morning following reports of a serious injury.The 23-year-old victim, Imran Shah, was pronounced dead on arrival at ...

  • News

    Low-GI health boost

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    Ground-breaking research has made a link between the consumption of low-glycaemic index (GI) bread and the prevention of Type 2 diabetes. The research also shows that low-GI bread contributes to a reduced risk of heart disease.The year-long study, entitled The Effect of Low-GI Bread on Glucose Response, was carried out ...

  • News

    Pat-a-Cake calls it a day in face of fierce competition

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    West Cumbrian bakery chain Pat-a-Cake has blamed competition from big rivals for a decision to close its six shops and small bakery, with the loss of 54 full and part-time jobs.The family-owned business blamed "a downturn in trading conditions" caused by national chains opening rival outlets in its area."It’s been ...

  • News

    Commodities tracker

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    The Australian Macadamia Society (AMS), which represents over 790 Australian macadamia growers and processors, is planning an awareness campaign to raise the profile and increase sales of macadamias in the UK.The Australian macadamia industry has undertaken a large planting programme and as these trees come into production over the next ...

  • News

    Search is on for Furniss workers

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    A Cornish bakery is trying to piece together part of its company history by tracking down former workers.Redruth-based Furniss wants to trace 100 years of missing history at the firm, which master baker John Cooper Furniss set up in the late 1880s.It started out as a Truro teashop and made ...

  • News

    Kingsmill loses market share

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    Allied Bakeries’ market share for its Kingsmill brand has reduced in every region of the UK over the last year, according to new market research compiled by Warburtons.Warburtons’ Bakery Review 2006 report, which uses data from sources including AC Nielsen and TNS, divides the UK into 10 regions.The Kingsmill brand ...

  • News

    L’Artisan plans larger premises

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    Spicers Bakery in Navan, Co Meath, Ireland, is to move its L’Artisan division to a new bakery at the end of January to meet increased demand.MD John Spicer founded the L’Artisan company three years ago to make and distribute artisan-style bread, confectionery and dessert products for caterers.The new bakery ...

  • News

    Winners and losers in uncertain sector

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    The bakery sector has become more unpredictable, with successful firms likely to slip quickly from being ’winners’ to being ’losers’, according to new research from business analyst Plimsoll.The research company has divided the 960 bakery sector companies surveyed into ’winners’, ’losers’, ’chasers’ and ’sleepers’ on the basis of their financial ...

  • News

    Packaging watch

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    After a trial of cardboard wedge packs for Pret A Manger’s made-in-store sandwiches in 1999, Buckingham Foods launched the first pre-packed cardboard wedge sandwiches for a major retail customer in 2000, when the retailer’s premium sub-brand range made its debut.For several years after that the role of cardboard wedge packs ...

  • News

    Viewpoint

    2006-12-01T00:00:00Z

    T he news that multi-seeded, low-glycaemic index (GI) bread can help with problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease is startling (pg 4). Thank goodness it comes from a proper scientific study published in the International Journal of Food Science and Medicine.It makes perfect sense that if multi-seeded bread is ...

  • News

    UCB set to rise from the ashes by April 2007

    2006-11-24T00:00:00Z

    United Central Bakeries’ (UCB’s) West Lothian factory should be back in full production next April, following a fire last month which destroyed much of the plant.Parent company Finsbury Food Group said at least 70% of its range is expected to be back in full supply this month. Its Christmas cakes ...

  • News

    UK sandwich market hits £4.6bn

    2006-11-24T00:00:00Z

    Some 325 delegates attended the British Sandwich Association’s Taste conference and exhibition, held in London last week.Speakers at the event included Marks and Spencer’s food technologist David Balmer, Tim Nicholas of market research company TNS and consultant Nellie Nichols.The delegates shared information from the latest TNS sandwich report for the ...

  • News

    Starbucks blames profit drop on changes to accounting

    2006-11-24T00:00:00Z

    Starbucks has blamed a 6% drop in international profits for the three months to 31 October on new accounting measures.The group announced profits of $117m (£62m) in the quarter, compared to $124m during the same period in 2005.Starbucks said its revenue had risen 22% to $7.8bn for the full year, ...