Future of True North Brew Co secured, saving 325 jobs
The future of Sheffield-based True North Brew Co has been secured following a sale out of administration in a deal which safeguards approximately 325 jobs.
Howard Smith and Rick Harrison from Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators to True North Brew Co Limited on 2 August 2023.
The company operates 12 licensed venues across South Yorkshire, as well as its own brewery and distillery.
In common with many other leisure and hospitality businesses, True North Brew Co had been negatively impacted by lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing series of economic and trading headwinds, including spiralling food, labour and energy costs.
Immediately following their appointment, the joint administrators concluded a sale of the business and assets to Cocktails and Craft Beers Limited. All of the company’s 325 employees have transferred to the purchaser as part of the transaction.
Howard Smith, Managing Director at Interpath Advisory and joint administrator, said: ”True North Brew Co’s pubs and bars have long been a popular destination for customers across South Yorkshire, but the impact of lockdowns and hyperinflation have placed an enormous amount of pressure on the business.
“After exploring a number of options, we’re pleased to have concluded this transaction which will see the continued operation of the company’s venues, brewery and distillery, and which importantly, safeguards over 300 jobs. We wish the management team all the best for the future.”
Irwin Mitchell acted for the administrator, while Lupton Fawcett acted for the purchaser.
Conor McGregor’s new Irish stout ‘Forged’ set to launch exclusively in ASDA this August 5th
‘Forged’, the highly acclaimed new stout brand, created by mixed martial artist legend Conor McGregor, is set to make its debut in over 350 ASDA stores across the UK on August 5th and is ready to take the market by storm.
This eagerly anticipated launch brings McGregor’s iconic stout to a wider audience, marking a milestone for the Irish MMA legend’s venture into the brewing industry.
“We are not here to take part; we are here to take over.”
Originally brewed in late 2020, Forged Irish Stout quickly gained popularity and became the number one Irish stout at McGregor’s own establishment, The Black Forge, located near his Dublin 12 residence. Outperforming its biggest rival week after week, Forged Irish Stout has now reached a pivotal point in its journey, with McGregor’s recent acquisition of a brewery enabling him to scale production and introduce his stout to a broader consumer base with its upcoming exclusive launch at ASDA, making the stout available at more than 370 of its stores. A smooth roasted stout ‘Forged’ has been described as the smoothest, creamiest, and freshest stout that enthusiasts can experience. The stout’s exceptional flavour profile is a result of a meticulously crafted blend of malts, including pale malt, crystal malt, Munich malt, black malt, roasted barley, and wheat. This unrivalled combination results in a stout with unparalleled depth and complexity, that sets Forged firmly apart from other stouts in the market. Conor McGregor stated: “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. We’re not here to take part, we’re here to take over. This launch comes as a culmination of 2 years of hard graft from myself and The Forged Irish Stout team and I’m immensely proud to finally be able to get it into the hands of the British public. We’ve huge plans for Forged in the UK, Ireland, the US and beyond and I can’t wait for you all to join us on the journey.” Looking beyond the shores of Ireland, Conor McGregor plans to captivate the beer enthusiasts of the United Kingdom and beyond. A major international launch event is already in the works for later this year, promising an unforgettable experience for stout connoisseurs across the globe. Doug Leddin, head of marketing at Forged Irish Stout, said: “Created by one of the most famous and successful Irishmen in the world and brewed in his very own Dublin brewery, Forged is a 100% Irish stout. With this launch in Asda, we’re only just getting started.”Kite Packaging reduces minimum order value to £45 to support customers amidst economic crisis
Leading online packaging supplier, Kite Packaging, has significantly reduced their minimum order value to support customers during the current financial crisis.
Effective from 5th July, Kite Packaging has lowered its minimum order value from £100 to an affordable £45 in a bid to make it easier for customers to access their products and services during these uncertain times.
The decision comes as part of Kite’s commitment to fostering strong relationships with their customers, prioritizing customer satisfaction to alleviate the financial challenges posed by the ongoing economic crisis and inflation.
In addition to the reduced minimum order value, Kite reaffirms its dedication to maintaining competitive pricing and optimising its operational efficiencies to provide the best value for money to their customers.
For more information about Kite’s new minimum order value and to explore their extensive range of affordable products, please visit www.kitepackaging.co.uk.
SICK announces major upgrade to colour sensor portfolio
SICK has announced a major advance in its colour sensor portfolio, with the launch of its CSS and CSX high resolution and high-speed devices.
SICK’s newly developed flagship CSS colour sensor leads the way with best-in-class colour resolution and the ability to distinguish even the slightest nuances in shade. Its capability to identify subtle differences in surface structures and textures opens up wide-ranging applications in food and drink manufacturing.
The SICK CSS Colour Sensor detects colours precisely, regardless of the distance from the object, at lengths of up to 500mm. Its unique distance regulation capability dispenses with the need for strict guidance of the target. It therefore accommodates changing sensing distances automatically on a production line.
“These two devices now offer best-in-class performance, as well as combining unmatched colour recognition with ease of set-up and the ability to adjust the colour sensitivity precisely,” explains David Hannaby, SICK’s market development manager for presence detection.
“The sensors are therefore ideal for wide-ranging colour sensing applications, such as colour verification for quality control, sorting and separation, as well as object and print mark positioning.”
For more information visit www.sick.co.uk
Capri Sun to take over sales and distribution from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners in Western Europe
Capri Sun Group Holding AG, the kids drink brand, will take back the sales and distribution of its iconic pouch drinks in France, Monaco, Great Britain, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Sweden, Spain, and Portugal in 2024, bringing to an end the sales and distribution arrangement with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP).
The decision was taken jointly and supports the strategy of Capri Sun Group to be closer to its customers and consumers, the wish to accelerate growth, and the vision of the company to become the most sustainable kids’ drink in the world.
The strategy to be closer to the market started around 5 years ago, by taking the sales and distribution back in-house in Switzerland, Austria, the Middle East, China, and most recently Poland. This so-called “go-direct” strategy enables the Capri Sun Group to be more agile and responsive in a fast-changing environment and allows a full focus on developing the Capri Sun business.
Capri Sun has recruited 70 new employees, who will now focus on preparing for the transition, which will begin in March 2024.
Roland Weening, CEO of Capri Sun Group Holding AG, explains: “CCEP has been a terrific partner for more than a decade, and we are grateful for the successful cooperation over the years. We have concluded on both sides that the future needs both companies to focus on their own brands. We are a privately owned company and as a global family favorite since 1969, are fully committed to reaching our vision to become the most sustainable kids’ drink in the world.
“We are planning the launch of recyclable pouches as well as more low-sugar products, and we will continue to drive innovation further. We will invest an additional €42mio in 2024 to support these initiatives and the transition. This will accelerate our growth and bring even more carefree fun and smiles for generations to come!”
CCEP and Capri Sun will continue to work closely together to support customers, both to deliver on 2023 business and growth plans and throughout the transition next year. The process will begin in March 2024, with different cut-over dates per market. CCEP will continue to co-pack Capri-Sun in Great Britain for the GB market to the end of 2024.
Krones nominated for the German Sustainability Award
Krones AG, the technology supplier for the beverage and food industry, has been named as one of the nominees for this year’s German Sustainability Award.
“At first, we were a little overwhelmed by the e-mail,” laughs Martina Birk, who is responsible for sustainability within the group.
This year, the nomination was made for the first time by a jury of experts, who identified Krones as a “pioneer of transformation” in the mechanical engineering sector. The publicly available sustainability information of the group served as the basis for this.
“For us, this is an incredible honour and, above all, confirmation that we have taken the right path with ‘Solutions beyond tomorrow’ and our sustainable corporate strategy,” says a delighted Birk. “No matter what the outcome of the competition will be: this will give us additional strength and motivation for the mountain of work that still lies ahead of us.”
Who will ultimately win the race will be decided in the autumn: the finalists will be selected in September, and the award ceremony itself will take place on 23 November 2023 in Düsseldorf.
This year’s German Sustainability Award is presented together with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, the DIHK and the WWF. The jurors are independent, not bound to any particular interests and participate according to clear compliance rules.
Shortlist announced for Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards 2023
The shortlist has been announced for the third edition of the Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards, which celebrate innovative products and inspiring independent retailers in the world of artisan food & drink.
The results of the awards will now be opened up to public industry vote, with the ultimate winners decided by a combination of the judges ranking and the public vote. The winners will be celebrated in a special ceremony on the evening of the first day of the Fair, which returns to Olympia London on 11-12 September.
This year’s awards are comprised of seven categories:
· ‘Not Yet on the Shelf’
· New Product of the Year – UK
· New Product of the Year – International
· Sustainability Pioneer of the Year
· Small Independent Retailer of the Year, in partnership with BIRA
· Large Independent Retailer of the Year, in partnership with BIRA
· Outstanding Industry Champion
The Not Yet on the Shelf category, new for 2023, is open to products that are not yet listed in any retailers: truly new products representing an exciting future for the food & drink market.
“The introduction of the ‘Not Yet on the Shelf’ award is a fantastic idea for both the brand and the retailer,” comments Adrian Boswell, Food Buyer at Selfridges and awards judge. “In an industry where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to have a point of difference, a focus on this area plays an important part of giving retailers the opportunity to be first to market and provide a launch pad for exciting new brands.”
The shortlist for this category is:
· Cherry and Almond Jam by Winnie’s Original
· Truffle Hot Sauce by Truffle Guys Ltd
· Chestnut Gnocchi by Cornwall Pasta Co
· Spherika Date Pearls by Pescaviar S.L.
The New Product of the Year – International category celebrates products from international businesses taking part in the Fair, with entries from all around the world sampled by the panel of industry judges.
The shortlist for this category is:
· Truffle Chocolate by chocoMe kft.
· 16 Chocolate Tasting Box by Culinaris UK Ltd
· Dark Chocolate with Jerk Seasoning by Pure Chocolate Jamaica
· Marshmallow Crunchies by Turtle
New Product of the Year – UK showcases exciting new products being launched at this year’s event by producers at the Fair.
The shortlist for this category is:
· Goldstone Rum by Goldstone Rum
· Tiny Tee’s Dirty Martini by Whitebox Cocktails
· Non-Alcoholic Ginger Wine by Jackson Roze
Sustainability Pioneer of the Year is a category which can be entered by businesses, individuals or initiatives demonstrating a pioneering, industry-leading approach to ESG and environmental concerns.
The shortlist for this category is:
· Date Sultan
· Bay Coffee Roasters
· Golden Hooves
· Two Farmers
The Small Independent Retailer of the Year Award, in partnership with BIRA, is presented to a pioneering smaller retailer at the heart of their community. The winner will be a forward-thinking independent retailer with less than £500k annual turnover and/or 10 or fewer employees.
· Usman Shah
· Martin Dupee
· Refill Therapy Ltd
· Drapers Lane Delicatessen
The Large Independent Retailer of the Year Award is presented to a pioneering retailer with over £500k annual turnover and/or more than 11 employees. The winner is a forward-thinking retailer, a real advocate for independent businesses, and leads by example to push for change and development for the industry on key agendas.
· Flourish at Glenavon Farm
· Cobbs Farm Co Ltd
· Grasmere Gingerbread®
· The De Beauvoir Deli
Outstanding Industry Champion, nominated by leading professionals in the sector, will be announced alongside the award winners on day one of the Fair on 11 September at Olympia London.
The judges for this year’s event were Adrian Boswell, Food Buyer, Selfridges; Stephen Minall, Co-Founder, FDReviews; Vhari Russell, Managing Director, Food Marketing Experts; Tara Mei, Founder, Mahalo Supplies; Steve Walpole, Culinary Consultant and Laura Roberts, Owner, Laura’s Larder.
Roberts comments: “It was a wonderful experience being a judge for the Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards, the session was emotional and opinionated – as it should be! We were challenged and excited in equal parts by an array of interesting, fun, and purposeful products. I’m looking forward to the year ahead!”
To find out the award winners, sample the nominated products, and explore everything Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2023 has to offer, register for your complimentary trade ticket at specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk. Cast your vote for your favourite nominees here.
Britvic acquires Extra Power energy brand in Brazil
Britvic has acquired the Extra Power energy drink brand in Brazil from GlobalBev. This marks an important extension of Britvic’s Brazilian operations, consistent with Britvic’s strategy to accelerate and expand its presence across Brazil.
With 42% market share in its core regions near Brasilia, Extra Power enables access to the fast-growing, high-margin energy category. In addition, the acquisition includes a modern, efficient warehouse in Brasilia that will enhance Britvic’s supply chain efficiency across its wider portfolio and route to market into Brazil’s Centre-West region.
In the year to December 2022, the acquired portfolio generated R$118m of net sales, growing 26% on the previous year.
Simon Litherland, Chief Executive Officer, said: “I am delighted by this acquisition, which enables us to enter the higher-margin energy category in Brazil. In line with our strategy to accelerate and expand our presence in the country, we will access a growing category, extend our regional presence and deliver efficiencies in our supply chain. I am confident this acquisition will accelerate our growth trajectory in one of our key markets and generate great value for our business.”
This acquisition gives Britvic a meaningful presence in Centre-West region (Distrito Federal & Goias), providing the opportunity to scale its existing brands into a region where the business has historically under-indexed, as well as bring the acquired brand into Britvic’s existing footprint.
Britvic first entered the Brazilian market in 2015 with the acquisition of Ebba, followed by the acquisition of Bela Ischia in 2017. Since then, Britvic has developed fruit favourites such as Maguary, Dafruta and Bela Ischia into strong national presences known for innovation.
The Maguary brand heritage dates back to 1953 and, similar to the European flavour concentrates brands, is consumed by families at home. This heritage and family awareness enabled Fruit Shoot to be launched in Brazil as Maguary Fruit Shoot – following the same principle Britvic has followed in Europe, where Robinsons and Teisseire are the halo brands.
More recently the local team has expanded the brand’s presence further launching a plant-based chocolate drink. New category launches in recent years have included Puro Coco and Natural Tea, both of which are ready-to-drink formats in the coconut and iced tea categories. The expansion of the portfolio continued in 2020.
Dafruta Tropical was launched in the flavour concentrates category, utilising the technical know-how of the Robinsons formulation. This new range uses real fruit, has a range of flavours and is pre-sweetened, differentiating it from the traditional concentrates in Brazil which require sugar to be added by the consumer. More recently the portfolio has expanded with the launch of Britvic Mixers and the premium Mathieu Teisseire range of concentrates for cocktails.
The growth market for fruit drinks in Brazil is complemented by Britvic’s fruit growing and fruit processing company, Be Ingredient, providing natural ingredients for Britvic and the international market.
In the financial year 2022, Britvic generated £143m of revenue in Brazil.
The acquisition of Extra Power will be funded from existing internal resources and external debt facilities.
The acquisition will require regulatory clearance but is expected to be completed around the start of Britvic’s next financial year in October 2023.
Greencore to sell vegetable oils business
Greencore has entered into an agreement to sell its Trilby oils business to K.T.C. (Edibles) Limited.
Trilby is one of Ireland’s leading importers and distributors of vegetable oils and fats for the food processing industry and sells approximately 60,000 tonnes of product each year to customers in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Holland.
The group is selling Trilby for cash consideration of approximately €9,800,000, subject to customary adjustments.
As of the half year ended 31 March 2023, the value of the Trilby gross assets was €23,366,162 and the profit before tax attributable to Greencore’s interest in Trilby for the full year ended 30 September 2022 was €2,926,689.
Dalton Philips, CEO of Greencore, said: “Trilby is a great business with attractive assets and a fantastic team. However, given our strategic focus on the UK convenience food market, it is no longer a core part of Greencore’s plans. As such, we are very pleased to have found such a good home for Trilby’s operations and colleagues.”
Paresh Mehta, CEO of K.T.C. Edibles, said: “We are very excited by the acquisition of Trilby, following a strong period of trading under Greencore’s ownership. KTC see great potential in the Trilby team as an on-the-ground platform to support our growth ambitions in Ireland.”
The transaction is expected to close in September 2023 subject to the approval of relevant anti-trust authorities and customary closing conditions.
Campbell to expand Goldfish production capacity with $160m investment
Campbell Soup Company is investing approximately $160 million in its Richmond, Utah, manufacturing facility to expand production of Goldfish crackers to help meet increased consumer demand.
The new line will increase the bakery’s output of Goldfish by 50 percent and produce over 5 million Goldfish per hour or 1,500 Goldfish every second. The expansion also includes the construction of an onsite flour mill that will be separately owned and operated.
“Goldfish is an iconic brand that is quickly approaching a billion-dollar business, and this investment demonstrates our commitment to the growth of our brands and the communities where we operate,” said Chris Foley, Executive Vice President and President, Campbell Snacks.
With a bakery in Richmond and operations in Logan, the company currently employs more than 400 people in the Cache Valley region and will add more than 80 jobs with this investment.
As part of the project, Utah Flour Milling, LLC will build a flour mill adjacent and connected to the Campbell bakery. The onsite mill is a partnership between PHM Brands’ Panhandle Milling and NIPPN CORPORATION. The mill will increase supply reliability, provide capacity for continued growth, and improve plant efficiency. In addition, the mill will reduce the site’s greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating over 2,200 trucks per year transporting the flour from mill to bakery.
The company expects the new Goldfish line to be operational by the end of 2024. This is Campbell’s third Goldfish capacity expansion in the past two years, following bakery expansions in Lakeland, Florida and Willard, Ohio.