The Institute of Brewing & Distilling launches the No and Low Alcohol Beer Production Course

The course provides brewers with the knowledge and techniques essential for making excellent no and low alcohol beer.

The Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD), the most widely recognised provider of technical education in the brewing industry, has launched a brand new self-assessed and on demand technical course, No and Low Alcohol Beer Production.

The No and Low Alcohol Beer Production Course is the latest in a hugely popular series of IBD continuing professional development courses for brewers. This also meets the IBD strategic objective to grow their educational offering so their portfolio reflects changes in the industry, enabling their members and students to have access to courses that will keep their skills and technical skills and experience in line with present day trends.

The course is aimed at brewers who are working in breweries of all sizes who want to produce excellent no and low alcohol products safely, at minimum cost and in compliance with regulations. 

It provides the most up-to-date information on the science and technology of no and low alcohol beer production. Learners are guided through the brewing process from raw materials to packaging and provided with the knowledge required to be an accomplished no and low alcohol beer producer. The course provides everything you need to know and some things you probably didn’t realise you needed to know. All, in an engaging, interactive and multimedia format.

The course includes a downloadable PDF with technical information such as:

The legal classifications of low and non-alcoholic beers

Nutritional information for no and low alcohol beers

Mashing profiles and yeast types for use in no and low alcohol beers

The main flavour compounds to control in no and low alcohol beer

Key calculations for processing, dilution and flavouring

A summary of the options for dealcoholisation

Key hurdles to microbiological contamination

This course has been developed in collaboration with leading brewers, brewing consultants, yeast suppliers and manufacturers of dealcoholisation equipment. It provides the same technical excellence found in all IBD qualifications, with the benefit of not needing to sit a formal exam.

The course features text, videos, animations, quizzes, and games to help enhance learning. At the end of the course, learners receive a Certificate of Completion.  To find out more visit: No and Low Alcohol Beer Production Course (ibd.org.uk).

Tom Shelston, CEO, says: “Launching our No and Low Alcohol Beer Production course is a strategic and complementary addition to our growing portfolio of qualifications and courses. It will become an important part of the IBD’s growing educational offering which continues to reflect how the drinks industry is evolving to meet shifting market needs.”

Stuart Howe, who is Technical and Development Manager, explains: “This is the first course ever that provides in-depth scientific and technical information about no and low alcohol beer production. It's written and developed in collaboration with experts in the field and with the rigor and accuracy that you expect from the IBD. If you are serious about realising the potential of your brewery to make the most of the growth of no and low alcohol beer, you should sign up to take this course.”

https://www.ibd.org.uk

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Get whisked away by the Great Legal Bake

Advice sector organisations are reporting that they are facing a £30million funding gap this year

It’s not long until the Great Legal Bake is upon us. Lots of budding bakers are already prepping their cake tins and getting ready to celebrate Pro Bono Week (6th-10th November). 

Hosted by the London Legal Support Trust, in partnership with the Access to Justice Foundation, this tasty event encourages those who support access to justice to hold a bake sale at their workplace.

With 100 bakes registered and raring to go, this event encourages people to spread the loaf in support of specialist free legal advice agencies. Pro Bono Week offers an opportunity to recognise and support the voluntary contribution made by the legal profession across the UK in giving free legal help to those in need. Many other events are taking place during Pro Bono Week across the UK to showcase and discuss how pro bono changes lives, how its impact can be maximised, and the wider role of ESG.

Chair of the Pro Bono Week organising committee, barrister Toby Brown, said: “The sweetest part of Pro Bono Week is undoubtedly the Great Legal Bake, where we’ll see law students through to judges sharing cakes and other baked goods across the country. It raises much needed funds for free legal advice charities, so please either get your baking apron on, or come ready to eat cake with donation in hand!”

Advice sector organisations are telling us that they are facing a £30million funding gap this year, which means that over 40,000 people who are most impacted by the cost of living crisis will potentially go without the advice and assistance they need. With these figures showing how the funding gap has doubled from £15m to £30m in the last year and £10m more than it was in 2020, we know that the cost of living crisis is having a greater impact on the availability of frontline advice than the pandemic.

Last year, the event raised £20,000 and London Legal Support Trust are hoping the bakers out there will bake their day and show up for this important cause.

If you have questions about the bake, please email: signups@llst.org.uk

https://londonlegalsupporttrust.org.uk

Northwest Artisan Food Producer Hawkshead Relish, Wins Four Prestigious National Awards

Hawkshead Relish, which is based in the very heart of the English Lake District has received four national awards in the Great British Food Awards 2023.

The four awards included a bronze award for their best selling Raspberry & Vanilla Jam in the Jam category. Another bronze award was given for their NEW Bloody Mary Slow Cooker Sauce, and a silver was awarded for their NEW Lemon & Garlic Slow Cooker Sauce. 

The fourth award they picked up was the overall regional award for the North of England.

Maria Whitehead MBE, co-owner of Hawkshead Relish said: “We're absolutely thrilled to have collected these four prestigious awards, not only for the products, but for our whole team creating our new slow cooker sauce range. We are also incredibly proud to have been selected as the North of England regional winner against so many other amazing top producers making this a truly exceptional achievement.”

Launched earlier in 2023, the first two Slow Cooker Sauces in the range have already received a great response from their customers. Created as an easy solution for a quick and tasty dinner without the use of over-processed ingredients. 

Just add a jar of their sauce to your meat of choice, set the slow cooker to run and return to a delicious meal with minimal effort. The company's handmade high quality ethos extends to this range which brings all the flavour you expect from the award winning Hawkshead Relish Company. The company is already planning the launch of a further two flavours joining this range in the coming months.

The annual awards first launched in 2014 to celebrate the country's finest artisanal produce, as well as the hard-working people behind the scenes. With categories from dairy to cheese, artisan drinks to savoury preserves, there's a category for every food imaginable.

Judges this year included the likes of food writer and restaurant critic William Sitwell, chef Sally Abe, chef Paul Askew, chef Michel Roux Jr, chef Adam Handling, chef Raymond Blanc, and restaurateur Shelina Permaloo, to name a few, who tasted their way through a huge array of products across the 52 award categories.

For wholesale enquiries, please contact sales@hawksheadrelish.com.

https://www.hawksheadrelish.com

New Consumer Product: Be Your Own Barista at Home With Trewithen Dairy's New Cornish Barista Milk

Whether you're a latte lover or cappuccino devotee, coffee fans will be able to create barista-style coffees at home for a fraction of the cost with Trewithen Dairy's new award-winning Cornish Barista Milk.

With a growing cult following in some of the UK's independent city coffee shops, Trewithen's Cornish Barista Milk is now available to buy through Ocado (RRP £2.00). Created in partnership with skilled baristas and industry specialists, it's been carefully crafted to produce the perfect foam for coffee at home. 

Naturally higher in protein and a great source of nutrients, Trewithen Dairy's new Cornish Barista Milk is produced from family farms in the heart of Cornwall, and has the ideal protein and butterfat content to create barista-style milk to compliment coffee with a delicious taste and perfect froth that lasts longer. Its rich and creamier taste is the reason why it's recently received a Great Taste Award with judges singling out its “rich, creamy milk with a suggestion of sweetness.”

Renowned for its exceptional dairy products with quality and sustainability at its core, Trewithen Dairy works with farmers who are close to home ensuring all their milk comes from a blend of Brown Swiss, Friesian, Holsteins and Jersey cows who graze on lush Cornish grass on farms with standards that are higher than industry requirements.  

Francis Clarke, director of Trewithen Dairy, says: “We created, developed and launched this product with baristas and for baristas in partnership with Stores Supply who are experts in the specialty coffee space and whose insights and support have been invaluable.

Our barista milk has been hugely popular in cafés across the UK for the last several years and it's so exciting to be able to now offer everyone across the country the chance to try making their own coffees with it for the first time.”  

According to Mintel, a leading market intelligence agency, consumers are entering a 'fourth wave' of premium home-crafted coffee so Trewithen's Cornish Barista Milk is perfectly timed with this increase in popularity of making more specialty coffees at home.

With each batch foam tested before distribution, Trewithen Dairy's Cornish Barista Milk creates a professional quality milk for coffee at home, every time. Its unforgettable smooth finish, creamy, rich taste and fresh flavour is the perfect balance to complement coffee or even add to shakes, cereal or enjoy straight from the bottle. 

https://www.trewithendairy.co.uk

Beacon Foods Celebrates 120 Years' Combined Service by Six Employees

The combined service totalling over 120 years by six dedicated employees has been celebrated by Beacon Foods, one of the UK's top suppliers of ingredients and ready-to-eat products.

The award-winning Brecon-based business, which has in excess of 130 employees, arranged a special fish and chip lunch for all the employees working on the day to celebrate the occasion. They each also received a gift from the company.

Chairman Edward Gough is the longest serving employee with 31 years to his name, although he is closely followed by Rob Sweet with 30 years' service.

The other long serving staff recognised were Tracy Smith and Mansel Richards, both with 20 years' service and Nicola Lewis and Shir Gurung with 10 years' service.

Nearly a quarter of Beacon Foods' workforce have worked for the company for five years or more and 16% have given at least 10 years' service.

“We are really very grateful for the loyal service and dedication that our long-serving employees have given to Beacon Foods,” said Edward. “The company just wouldn't have been able to grow so much and be as successful as it is today without them."

The company has invested £6 million in a three-year expansion programme which has doubled both the size of its manufacturing and storage facilities - to 53,000 square feet – and its production capacity.

Beacon Foods supplies food manufacturers, food service, coffee shops, fast food chains and travel and hospitality industries.

The company 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.

(Pictured: Beacon Foods chairman Edward Gough (second from right) with long serving employees Rob Sweet, Nicola Lewis, Mansel Richards, Shir Gurung and Tracy Smith)

Good news! Aldi's beer and cider ranges are now plastic free!

Aldi has removed all plastic packaging from its own-label four-pack beers and ciders to further slash plastic waste.

The UK’s fourth-largest supermarket has replaced potentially environmentally dangerous plastic shrink wrap and rings with a safer, greener cardboard alternative.

The packaging is fully recyclable at home and removes 95 tonnes of plastic packaging per year, as part of Aldi’s continuing efforts to reduce its environmental impact and develop alternative packaging for its products.

Luke Emery, Plastics and Packaging Director at Aldi, said: “Minimising plastic waste is important to both Aldi and our customers, and we are always looking for ways to adapt our packaging. Moving our beer and cider to card packaging is another step in our fight against unwanted plastic.”

The change follows Aldi’s switch to fully recyclable own-label handwash packaging in May and the removal of single-use cutlery from its Food To Go range in September. 

Lidl partners with revolutionary egg producer Kipster

Lidl GB has announced an exclusive UK partnership that will see it become the first Grocer in Great Britain to sell British eggs from the revolutionary egg company Kipster, which is said to produce “the most animal and environmentally friendly farms in the world."

Kipster’s industry leading and transformative farming concept will see British eggs produced by chickens which are kept in the highest welfare standards and which have a significantly reduced carbon footprint, with the remaining offset through the purchase of carbon credits.

Having first introduced its egg farming concept to Holland back in 2017, Kipster’s exclusive partnership with Lidl GB means British shoppers will be able to purchase eggs sourced from Kipster’s British “egg farm of the future” from Spring 2025, once planning permissions for the Shropshire farm has been granted.

The Kipster concept was developed in partnership with scientists and animal welfare organisations to meet the needs and instincts of chickens. The farms, which exceed typical free range standards, enable the animals to roam freely inside or out, with access to an indoor playground filled with daylight and fresh air. Through the installation of live 24/7 web cams the conditions chickens live in are available for all to see, any time, any place, demonstrating Kipster’s dedication to absolute transparency.

Peter de Roos, Chief Commercial Officer for Lidl GB, said: “When we first met with Kipster, we were instantly struck by their devotion and commitment to providing the highest welfare standards for chickens and roosters, whilst also doing right by the planet. 

"At Lidl we want to give our customers the very best products at the best possible prices, which is why we’re so excited to be the first grocer to bring Kipster’s eggs to our stores across Great Britain. We are strongly urging Telford and Wrekin Council in Shropshire to approve the plans to ensure British shoppers have access to this industry leading egg.”

Ruud Zanders, Founder of Kipster, commented: "We are delighted to be working with British farmers who are keen to take the next step towards more animal welfare and environmental sustainability. We are immensely grateful to Lidl for the trust they put in us to get Kipster off the ground in the UK. With their support we farmers can close the gap between what we're doing and what people want and need, which is more ethically and sustainably produced food."

Dr Tracey Jones, Global Director of Food Business at Compassion in World Farming said: “We fully support Kipster’s innovative barn system for laying hens as it addresses both animal welfare and sustainability concerns, plus providing a good working environment for the farmers, too.

"Compassion awarded Kipster a Good Egg Award and Best Marketing Award in 2018 for promoting their welfare and environmentally friendly eggs, and we believe the Kipster concept has real potential for replication and growth in the future.”

The company also has a clear commitment to tackling food waste. It takes a circular approach to what the chickens and roosters eat, with animals eating a newly developed feed made using the by-products from crop and food processing, such as faulty pasta products or unwanted food from bakeries. 

The resulting upcycled feed has a carbon footprint around 40% of conventional chicken feed, with the remaining GHG emissions offset through carbon credits. It also shuns the standard industry practice of culling newly born roosters given their inability to lay eggs, instead rearing them in their friendly farms to eventually be used for meat.

The Kipster “farm of the future” will be operated by Shropshire based Griffiths Family Farms, who currently have planning application in with Telford and Wrekin Council for the new site, which is set to be determined this month, November.   

The introduction of Kipster eggs in Lidl stores follows the discounter’s industry -leading move to introduce Welfare Windows on packaging to improve supply chain transparency for customers.

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