Operations Manager Returns to Lead Major Expansion at Beacon Foods

Beacon Foods' new operations manager David Branter is excited to re-join Beacon Foods, one of the UK's leading suppliers of ingredients and ready-to-eat products, to contribute to the company's major expansion.

He says the Brecon-based business, which supplies food manufacturers, food service, coffee shops, fast food chains and travel and hospitality industries, is now perfectly placed to secure new business opportunities.

Investment totalling £6 million in the last three years has seen Beacon Foods double the size of its manufacturing and storage facilities to 53,000 square feet in preparation for business growth.

The company, which has 130 employees, has greatly increased production volumes, capabilities and packaging options by investing in state-of-art machinery.

David, 53, who previously worked for the company in 2021, is delighted to be back working closely with chairman Edward Gough and the management team to drive the business forward.

“It's a very exciting time for the company which is expanding and is in the best place it has ever been,” he said. “The leadership is very good and the staff recruited by the company over the last couple of years have made a positive impact to the business.

“We have doubled our manufacturing capacity, have a good reputation for quality, safe products and customer service and have already secured more business, so the future looks very promising.

“We have a stable, core workforce, with around a quarter of the staff having worked for the company for between 5 and 30 years, which shows the strength of the business.”

David says the company's USP are its huge variety of products, Beacon Foods has some 6,000 different recipes, and sharp focus on personal service, which appeals to customers in many different markets.

“There is a high level of complexity in the different products that we produce and we have many years of experience, which makes us stand out from competitors,” he added.

Established in 1993, Beacon Foods is the UK's leading specialist producer of garlic, ginger and chili puree, roasted and char grilled vegetables and fruit ranges, relishes, chutneys, sauces and fruit compotes.

The ingredients go into literally thousands of products, including sandwiches, ready meals, pizzas, soups, drinks and desserts, which can be found on supermarket shelves, airlines, restaurant chains and coffee shops.

Signature Brew, the Biggest Noise in Beer Is Crowdfunding

Signature Brew (www.signaturebrew.co.uk), the London-based brewery famed for collaborating with internationally renowned musicians & bands has launched their third crowdfunding campaign. Founded by a brewer and a musician with one simple philosophy, to brew beer that makes music better, Signature Brew is raising funds to fuel their growth over what is going to be a seminal two to three years for the brand.

The only UK brewery to have won SIBA's Brewery of the Year twice, Signature Brew are backed by a community of artists, with many personally investing in the brewery and playing an important, active role in the development of the business. 

They've worked with more bands and musicians than any other brewery in the world from The Prodigy to Lola Young, and Hot Chip to Hospital Records, IDLES to The Darkness, Signature Brew proudly work across all genres and demographics.

Since 2011 they've built their Community of artists, brands and venues and are now London's biggest independent brewery. Through flagship beers Studio Lager and Roadie All-Night IPA they're bringing their passion of uniting people through the power of incredible beer, great music and unforgettable experiences to the masses.

From their state-of-the-art brewery in East London, complete with a vibrant live music venue, they're brewing fresh award-winning beer that's heading out to some of the best venues in the UK like Strongroom, Rough Trade, Bush Hall and The British Music Experience. 

This fund raise is set to allow Signature Brew to take their unique business national and international with the beers, the bands and the brand going on tour to the best pubs, venues and festivals around, plus supermarkets, convenience and bottle shops. Look out for their beers in a venue near you!

Having launched publicly on 25th October Signature Brew is already overfunding having hit the 100% target of £700,000 immediately as investors clamoured to join the stars in supporting the UK's most exciting brewery. If you're interested in investing, then don't hesitate as the fund raise will only be open for a short period of time.

Signature Brew co-founder Tom Bott said, “Our original goal of making beer better at the venues and festivals we loved to go to still drives us today and through our community of artists, venues and partners, more and more venues are choosing to stock Signature Brew across the UK.”

Gus Unger-Hamilton from alt-J and Signature Brew investor said “Ever since alt-J collaborated with Signature Brew in 2018 I've loved the brewery and what the guys are trying to achieve with music & beer. Joe and I are passionate supporters of the business and can't wait for the exciting journey ahead that awaits us all. As soon as we finish a tour, getting down to a Signature Brew venue for a pint and a gig is high on the agenda!”

To follow the raise and express your interest in supporting one of the most exciting breweries in the UK head over to the Seedrs page at www.seedrs.com/signature-brew

Find Signature Brew on social media:

Instagram: instagram.com/signaturebrew

Facebook: facebook.com/SignatureBrew

Twitter: https://twitter.com/signaturebrew

Norwegian Cheese Nidelven Blå from Gangstad Gårdsysteri Crowned World Champion Cheese 2023

Nidelven Blå entered by Norwegian cheesemaker Gangstad Gårdsysteri has just been crowned World Champion Cheese at the World Cheese Awards on 27 October 2023, at the Trondheim Spektrum, Norway.

The World Champion Cheese, the highest accolade given, rose to the top of the record-breaking 4,502 entries in this year's World Cheese Awards, where the best cheeses from around the globe went head-to-head at the world's largest cheese-only event. 

Every cheese is meticulously evaluated, considering factors such as the appearance of the rind and paste, the cheese's aroma, body, texture, and most notably, its flavour and mouthfeel.

Maren Gangstadt, general manager of Gangstadt Gårdsysteri, who took over from her mother-in-law when she retired earlier this year, says: “This means so much to us. We're a small dairy farm based just two hours from here, so this happening on our home turf means a lot, and having all of the crew from the dairy here adds an extra spark to it.

“This cheese was made in January so it's about 11 months old now and it's our best seller. It got a Super Gold in the 2019 World Cheese Awards as best Norwegian cheese, reflecting the work that goes into maintaining the quality and consistency.”

The World Champion Cheese 2023 is a handmade, semi solid, blue mould cheese made with pasteurised cows' milk.  The Ysteriet farm-based dairy is proud to employ talented local people, creating 14 full-time jobs of the local village.

Championed by Super Jury Judge Finbar Deery, head of retail at Sheridans, Ireland who says: “What I loved most about this cheese was the interplay between the milk and the blue flavours, so it's not getting barrelled over by the penicillin. 

"The texture was the first thing that hit home, it has a creamy dense fudginess. It's a reasonably bitter cheese as well, we don't appreciate bitterness in cheese, when you have such a rich texture, the bitterness comes through and it keeps the whole show on the road.”

Named after the Trøndelag county river, Nidelven Blå is made just two hours from the centre of Trondheim, the host city for the 2023 World Cheese Awards.

A panel of leading cheese experts, including critics, chefs, recipe creators, buyers, retailers, journalists, broadcasters, and other experts in the field came together to taste and assess each cheese to decide if they were worthy of a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Super Gold award.

Through the judging process, 4,502 cheeses were whittled down to 100 Super Golds, from which 16 finalists were put forward to be re-judged by an International Super Jury for the World Cheese Award to determine an overall winner: the World Champion Cheese for 2023

The crowds watched on as some of the finest palates in the global cheese community debated the best of the best. The international Super Jury judging the final stage of proceedings consisted of 16 cheese experts from across the globe who tasted the final 16 in front of a live audience and broadcast on World Cheese TV before crowning this year's World Champion Cheese.

The panel of experts included, amongst others, Cathy Strange from Whole Foods Market in the USA, Peter Mårtensson from Swedish retailer Möllans Ost, Mansi Jasani from The Cheese Collective in India, Jon Thrupp from Mons Cheesemongers in the UK, and Aki Sakagami from the Cheese Professional Association in Japan,

The top 16 Super Gold cheeses:

Sinodun Hill from Norton and Yarrow Cheese, UNITED KINGDOM. Soft, pasteurised goats' milk cheese matured for 1 to 3 weeks. (Championed by Kelsie Parsons, Canada)

Old Amsterdam Goat from Westland Kaasexport, NETHERLANDS. Semi-hard, pasteurised goats' milk cheese matured for 6 to 9 months. (Championed by Peter Mårtensson, Sweden)

Goustal La Bergere from Société des Caves, FRANCE. Soft, pasteurised sheeps' milk cheese matured for 6 weeks to 3 months. (Championed by Catherine Fogel, Denmark)

Wigmore from Village Maid Cheese, UNITED KINGDOM. Soft, thermised sheeps' milk cheese matured for 5-9 weeks. (Championed by Svein Erik Backlund, Norway)

Parmigiano Reggiano 30-39 Months from Nazionale Parmigiano Reggiano Rastelli Fratelli, ITALY. Unpasteurised cows' milk cheese matured for 30 to 39 months. (Championed by Davide Fiori Guffanti, Italy)

Holland Delta, 1 Year Old from Van der Heiden Kaas, NETHERLANDS. Pasteurised cows' milk cheese matured for 1 year, with a sweet flavour derived from a secret rennet. (Championed by Mansi Jasani, India)

Eleftheria Brunost from Vivanda Gourmet, INDIA. Pasteurised cows' milk cheese matured for 0 to 2 weeks. Handmade by cooking indigenous pasteurised cows' milk whey & cream in a traditional vessel resembling a wok. (Championed by Cathy Strange, USA)

Eberle Würzig Seit 5 Generationen from Dorfkäserei Muolen, SWITZERLAND. Hard, unpasteurised cows' milk cheese matured for 8 months. (Championed by Débora Pereira, France)

Deichkäse Gold from Rohmilchkäserei Backensholz, GERMANY. Hard, unpasteurised organic cows' milk cheese matured for 12 to 18 months. (Championed by Georgina Yescas, Mexico)

Kärntnermilch Mölltaler Almkäse Selektion 50% FiT. from Kärntnermilch, AUSTRIA. Hard, pasteurised cows' milk cheese matured for 12 months. (Championed by Aki Sakagami, Japan)

Lamucca Di Castagno from Romagna Terre, ITALY. Pasteurised cows' milk cheese aged with chestnut leaf powder for 3 to 6 months. (Championed by Patrick McGuigan, UK)

Baliehof Houtlandse Asche Kaas from Baliehof Kaas En Zuivelboerderij Jabbeke, BELGIUM. Hard, unpasteurised cows' milk cheese matured for 3 months. (Championed by Suzy O'Regan, South Africa)

Müller-Thurgau Rezent from Käserei Müller-Thurgau, SWITZERLAND. Hard, washed-rind, pasteurised cows' milk cheese matured for 11 months. (Championed by Jon Thrupp)

Nidelven Blå from Gangstad Gårdsysteri, NORWAY. Pasteurised cows' milk blue cheese matured for 11 months. (Championed by Finbar Deery, Ireland)

Pirano from La Bufalara, ITALY. Semi-hard, pasteurised buffalo milk cheese matured for 3 to 6 months. (Championed by Evert Schonhage, Netherlands)

Michel from Rohmilchkäserei Backensholz, GERMANY. Unpasteurised cow's and goats' milk cheese matured for 14 to 16 months. (Championed by Ana Belén González Pinos, Spain)

John Farrand, who is the MD of the Guild of Fine Food, organisers of the World Cheese Awards, comments: “It makes me incredibly proud that we have once again a Norwegian winner, after the country triumphed in 2016, and again in 2018. This success is testament to the care and effort that has been invested by the Norwegian artisan cheese trade.   

“We've more entries than ever before, and I get more excited about the diversity in the nations represented and the breadth of styles and cheesemaking techniques from across the globe.”

A remarkable 4,502 cheeses submitted for the 35th edition of the World Cheese Awards, marking a 6% increase from the previous year. These entries represented 43 countries and garnered participation from 954 companies across the world (7.23% UK-based, 92.77% international). Notably, the competition featured return entries from relative newcomer entrants in recent years including Poland, India, Liechtenstein and Turkey amongst others. 

Well-established cheese-producing nations such as Italy, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom were well represented by both returning contenders and newcomers, with the highest number of entries coming from Spain. Host country Norway put forward their highest ever number of entries, with 293 Norwegian cheeses competing this year.  Across the competition, a vast range of styles and maturations were on display, showcasing a diverse array of milks including buffalo's, cows', goats' and sheep's.

All entries were judged in a single day, as 264 experts from 38 different nations studied their appearance, texture, aroma, and flavour. Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Super Gold accolades were awarded during the morning session before the Super Golds were reassessed to find this year's top 16 cheeses, from which the World Champion Cheese for 2023 was selected and crowned.

Keep up to date on socials: @guildoffinefood #WorldCheeseAwards

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Soreen bring health and affordability to the cake aisle

Soreen, the nation’s favourite malt loaf brand, has reformulated their banana loaf recipe to delight consumers taste buds with their exceptionally tasty and nutritional goodness.

The new Banana Loaf reformulation packs a powerful punch in flavour with an authentic banana bread taste, alongside heightened nutritional values, at a far more affordable price than other snacking and breakfast options.

At a time when households all over the UK are struggling to uphold a healthy lifestyle but are equally feeling the pressures of daily expenses and inflated costs of living, balancing health and affordability is admittedly something of a tough proposition. 

However, Soreen’s range provides healthier snacking alternatives whilst achieving good value for money. For example, Soreen Banana Loaf is 147 calories per portion at a cost of 30p per serving, far less than other category products or coffee shop cakes.

As the biggest HFSS compliant brand in cakes, Soreen has grown by 11% showcasing that customers want to make healthier choices. Soreen continues to be a popular household staple given its nutritional yet tasty appeal and versatility.

Liz Jacobs, who is the Marketing Director at Soreen said: “The beauty of Soreen is, it's an affordable, tasty and nutritional daily snack.

“At Soreen, we didn’t perceive HFSS to be a restriction, we saw it as an opportunity to refresh some products by adding more nutritional goodness in to optimise our health credentials and propel the brand as category leaders for health.

“Our HFSS compliant products have the chance to increase in-store visibility by moving to more premium store positions, thus encouraging shoppers to choose healthier snacking options and aligning to government guidelines to reduce obesity in the UK.”

The grocery sector has recently been under pressure given the challenges of increasing ingredient costs, which have inflated the price of numerous products. For this reason, some retailers increased their private label ranges given consumers disposable income has fallen. 

The private label options are there to provide cheaper alternatives to brands as shoppers switch products to achieve good value for money. Soreen provides affordable health for homes throughout the UK.

Liz went to say: “We are ‘Champions of feel-good nutrition,’ hence nutrition is a huge priority to us as a brand. We’re also committed to communicating with integrity and always showing our colour coded nutritional GDAs on the front of our packs.

"Soreen’s latest campaign ‘Try Me Topped’ presents some fabulous, and rather unusual combinations to get the senses going, encouraging people to experiment, and inviting them to share their faves, so that the nation’s most loved Malt Loaf topping can be determined!"

https://www.soreen.com

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European Cheeses That Make Perfect Winter Warming Treats

Winter is the perfect time to cook with cheese and European cheeses are essential ingredients in the kitchen due to their diversity of texture and flavour. 

Such cheeses are featured in many traditional family favourites such as gratins, tarts, pizzas, fondues, sauces but they also inspire gourmet and challenging recipes. 

Here we share details of cheeses that will bring a sense of Alpine celebration or warming comfort to your winter dining experiences.

If you're looking for the perfect meal to share with friends “raclette” is for you! Whilst the Raclette cheese is perfectly good to eat cold, it truly reveals itself when it is melted. 

Raclette is created by heating the cheese either in front of a fire or using a specially created machine. As the top layer melts it is scraped onto potatoes, gherkins and cured meats.  Matured for at least two months, most Raclette cheese is made in the Alps and Franche-Comté. The paste varies from white to light yellow, while the rind is a uniform golden yellow. 

Savoyard fondue is also a perfect cold-weather dish. It is a popular and regional dish made from a range of cheeses such as Emmental, Comté PDO, Beaufort PDO or Abondance PDO, garlic and Savoy white wine. It is usually eaten with small pieces of stale bread. Using a fondue fork you dip the bread into the melted cheese to taste it, taking care not to drop the bread! 

Mont d'Or, also called Vacherin du Haut-Doubs PDO, is one of the few cheeses that you can eat with a spoon due to its very creamy texture. Production is limited from mid-summer until early spring due to the Montbéliarde and Simmental cattle only producing enough milk during the warmer months.

 Presented in its spruce box, its rind is wrinkled like the mountains where it was produced. It has a marked woody aroma but whilst its smell is intense, it has a delicate flavour with fresh, creamy notes and a pleasant smoothness. Its creamy, melt-in-the-mouth paste can be enjoyed at room temperature on bread or as a hot dish in the oven. Literally translated as golden mountain, this cheese is held in high esteem. 

Reblochon PDO, is produced in a region that covers a large part of Haute Savoie and the Val d'Arly in Savoie. This well-rounded creamy cheese is exclusively made with locally-produced whole raw cow's milk. 

The history of Reblochon began more than five centuries ago when the farmers of the Aravis mountains were subject to a milk tax to be paid to the local lords. The farmers would wait until the tax collectors left before milking their cows a second time, as the second milking is always creamier. Thus Reblochon was created, the term being derived from the word  “reblocher” which means “to milk again” in Savoie dialect.

Along with Mont d'Or, Reblochon is also commonly used in a Tartiflette - a comforting, creamy and warming dish of potatoes, cream, cheese, bacon and onions. When made with the latter cheese, the dish is also known as “Reblochonade”. Reblochon has a creamy texture and a mild, fragrant taste that you can easily combine with fruit, vegetables and spices as a starter or main course. It can also be enjoyed on its own, simply with a slice of bread!

Highly prized for its distinctive fruity taste and creaminess, Beaufort PDO is a great cheese to use in cooking as it melts beautifully. This famous pressed cooked cheese from Savoy is easily recognised by its concave heel. Highly appreciated for its fruity aroma and creamy texture, Beaufort is a cheese with a distinctive taste, without being strong. 

For a delicious meal that will impress your guests (and use up those Halloween pumpkins) try this Squash stuffed with creamy squid ink risotto with Beaufort and hazelnuts.

That's Food and Drink would like to thank CNIEL, (Centre National Interprofessionnel de l'Economie Laitière) the French Dairy Interbranch Organization) for their invaluable assistance in preparing this blogpost.

Incidentally, we feel the above cheesy treats will make perfect Christmas time dining experiences!

https://dairy-products-from-france.com

Asda brings back soup, roll and unlimited Tea and Coffee for just £1 for the winter months

Asda has announced it’s bringing back it’s popular café ‘winter warmer’ £1 meal deal scheme to support the over 60s this winter, as they continue to face increased financial pressures during the cost-living crisis.

From 1st November until the end of February, Asda are offering people aged 60 and over the chance to enjoy soup, a roll and unlimited tea and coffee for just £1 in any of Asda’s 205 cafes. 

Asda first launched Winter Warmers in November 2022 for two months in a bid to support older customers who were disproportionately affected by spiralling living costs, with 65-to-74-year-olds experiencing a £163 year-on-year drop in disposable income in August 2022. The initiative saw over 650,000 £1 soup meals served.

The offer is available all day during the period in question and will run alongside the Kids eat for £1 offer which continues to be hugely popular, with over2.6 million meals served since its launch in June 2022, and over 180,000 in the last four weeks alone.

The latest figures from Asda’s income tracker reveal 40% of the lowest earning households still experienced negative disposable income in September, meaning their income doesn't cover what they need to spend on bills and other essentials.

Kris Comerford, Asda’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “We know winter is set to be incredibly hard for thousands of pensioners as they continue to worry about how to keep themselves warm in the face of rising living costs and being on a fixed income.

"Last year we served over 650,000 meals to the over 60s in two months, by bringing the initiative back for 2023 and extending it until February we hope it will prove just as impactful across the winter months for those who need it most.”

Selected Asda stores also run a ‘Community Cuppa’ campaign in our cafes by creating space for community groups who may otherwise struggle to meet due to rental costs or high energy costs. Spaces will be available on weekdays in November and December from 2pm to 6pm and all community group members who visit will receive unlimited free tea or coffee.

www.asda.com

Morrisons gives you another reason to shop at Morrisons. 75p pumpkins!

Morrisons is making its most popular medium pumpkins available for just 75p this year, helping families to stock up on the spooky season staple for less. 

The lower price of 75p is available for all More Card customers while these standard carving pumpkins are still only 99p for those without a More Card. The move comes as Brits are set to spend a whopping £777 million on Halloween in 2023 – leaving parents’ pockets feeling petrified. 

Whether planning the perfect pumpkin-carving party or looking to avoid pricey pumpkin patch visits, shoppers can find a purse-friendly option for every budget. 

To take the stress out of paying for Halloween, Morrisons is helping families by offering the market’s cheapest price for a medium sized pumpkin this year; it is part of the wider frighteningly fantastic pumpkin range at Morrisons which includes munchkin pumpkins (59p), ghost pumpkins (£2.99), large pumpkins (£1.99) and even giant pumpkins (£8.99).

Morrisons has also introduced QR code stickers on all pumpkin displays in stores this year, which take customers to information on how to get the most out of their pumpkins and avoid them simply going to waste. Tips include: saving the pumpkins seeds for planting in the spring with cleaned pumpkin skins - an ideal household compost.

Chris Smith, Fruit Buying Manager at Morrisons, commented: “Any seasonal moment can be a cause for celebration but with budgets also top of mind this year we hope that by offering these cut-price options parents and little shoppers don’t have to compromise on carving the perfect centrepiece this Halloween.” 

For more information on the Morrisons Halloween range please visit: https://groceries.morrisons.com/browse/halloween-189047

For information on how to limit pumpkin waste visit: https://www.morrisons-corporate.com/morrisons-sustainability/planet/making-the-most-of-your-pumpkin

That's Food and Drink recommends delicious pumpkin pies and pumpkin soups, etc.

Good Housekeeping Magazine has 20 favourite recipes you can try for yourself:-  

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/halloween/g28373702/pumpkin-recipes

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