In Brief

PRIVATE equity firm Doughty Hanson is selling its remaining 26.6% stake in RHM, following its flotation of the food group last July.

Lantmannen Unibake, one of Europe’s largest bakery groups, based in Scandinavia, is acquiring Belpan, a bakery producer, based in Belgium. Bakehouse will continue to represent both businesses in the UK and Ireland. Lantmannen Unibake is northern Europe’s largest producer of frozen bread products.

Greenhalgh’s Craft Bakery has launched biodegradable packaging for its range of sliced bread sandwiches. The packs are fully degradable. The clear window is made from PLA, derived from corn starch, which degrades twice as fast as newspaper, leaving no harmful residues. The coated board making up the main body of the packs is Tecta, which is recyclable. The inks used in printing are also fully biodegradable, with vegetable oils and natural resins as their main ingredients.The sandwich packs are in use throughout Greenhalgh’s chain of 43 shops, located across north-west England.

IAN Burch, head pastry chef at the five-star Bentley Hotel, has been named Pastry Chef of the Year at the Craft Guild of Chefs Annual Awards. He beat off stiff competition from Graham Hornigold, head pastry chef at The Lanesborough, and Nick Patterson, pastry chef at Claridge’s, to win the accolade. At the Bentley Hotel, Burch is responsible for the pastry for the in-house bakery, two restaurants, functions and room service.