The squeeze continues...

The recent news that Nestlé’s profits will be affected by the downturn in China alongside the announcement that Satterthwaite’s Bakery in Liverpool was to close with the loss of 70 jobs illustrated vividly how the Food Manufacturing industry is being squeezed at both ends.

It was encouraging to read that DEFRA is going on the front foot to promote UK exports and it is also clear that the UK still enjoys a fantastic reputation for quality and innovation in product development and is fast catching up in added value. But while householders disposable income remains limited the budgets available for NPD will remain limited; the food and drink market has stoutly resisted the downturn so far but continued pressure may result in increasing numbers of Satterthwaite’s and decreasing numbers on major players profit lines.

News Round: A Round Up of the Latest in Food News

 Asda Rated Most Trusted Supermarket

A recent survey conducted by The Grocer, has proved Asda to be the most trusted of the leading supermarkets when it comes to claims surrounding pricing and promotions, beating off competitor Sainsbury’s by just over 5%.

20.1% of the consumer vote was awarded to Asda, over Sainsbury’s’ 14.9%. In third place Tesco secured 11.8% of the votes, 8.1% of shoppers felt Waitrose was the most trustworthy and bringing up the rear with 5.3% was M&S.

An Asda spokeswoman commented on the findings:

“When you are who you say you are it unlocks the key to customer loyalty”.

Robert Wiseman Dairies Bought By Müller Group

After humble beginnings in 1947 on a Scottish family farm, Robert Wiseman has sold their dairy business to German company Müller.

1/3 of Britain’s fresh milk is provided by Robert Wiseman’s 6 dairies, which process 1.5bn litres of milk a year.

£92m of the final £279.5m selling price was awarded to the Wiseman Brothers. The remainder was distributed between shareholders, including First Milk and 1000 of Wiseman’s 5000 employees.

Analyst Pete Hunt has doubted Müller’s purchase, stating;

“There will be a small amount of savings in combining it with its UK yoghurt business, but there is no real strategic benefit,"

Walkers’ New Mystery Flavours

Walkers has launched 3 new varieties of crisps, but the 3 new flavours are being kept a mystery. Mystery A, B and C to be precise.

Consumers adventurous enough to play crisp roulette will have the chance to win a £50k prize if they can identify a flavour correctly. The guessing will be made ever so slightly easier, by Walkers revealing the flavours are influenced by popular British ingredients and recipes.

Other clues will be given away through the use of social media, on avenues such as Facebook and Twitter. Those who have a hunch and would like to do so can enter via Facebook, text and the Walkers website.

Best of the Rest

Sisters to restore Brookes Avana within two years

http://goo.gl/3SkqM

Unilever signs major chocolate supply deal

http://goo.gl/Qhm2X

Easter Egg sales rely heavily on special deals

http://goo.gl/oOsTu

Food Focussed CV Tips

Whether you’re a permanent or interim in the Food Manufacturing industry, there are certain golden rules to adhere to when compiling your CV. The consultants here at Quantica have given thought to what makes a good CV in this sector, below are our handy hints!

1: Detail your area

For any given role a consultant may be asked to find a candidate with, for example ‘chilled’ experience. When searching on job boards these key words are integral, as they will be used as search terms. Whether your experience lies in chilled, dairy, ambient, and so on, make sure it’s on your CV! Also, add in details such as particular product knowledge and experience.

2: List and quantify your achievements

Think about the role/roles you have had in your career and if you haven’t already then list your achievements. This allows employers a vital insight into your successes and therefore what you can potentially do for them. For example, if you are a Technical Manager a fantastic achievement to detail would be; “Saved meat processing contract from Double Red audit status to Amber/Green, gaining full buy in to changes from key team members & addressing complaints.”.

3: Make your hobbies relevant

The hobbies section on your CV can be a fantastic opportunity to highlight your strengths. If you are seeking a management position, display how you exhibit managerial ability in your personal life. An illustration of this could be managing your local football team.

4: Show off your qualifications

In the food industry it is important to highlight your most relevant and advance qualifications. There is no need to feature your GCSE grades if you have a degree, show your highest level of education. It is also integral to specify all professional and industry related courses completed.

5: Paint a picture of your experience

Employers like to have a comprehensive understanding of your career history, this means not only understanding what you did but where you did it. The environment you achieved your professional highlights in can define their importance. Itemise which site you worked at, how many employees that particular site had, who were the main customers/main retailers etc.

Quick Tips

Do’s

• Do use bullet points.
• Do go into detail about recent roles but summarise ones over 10 years old.
• Do have an email address you feel reads professionally.
• Do try and keep your CV to a maximum of two pages.

Don’ts

• Don’t leave gaps in your CV – explain periods of unemployment where possible.
• Don’t speak in the 3^rd person.
• Don’t over complicate it; a simply laid out CV is the most effective.

Food Manufacturing: The Next Generation

At present there is a distinct lack of qualified technicians within the food manufacturing industry and with 1/3 of the workforce set to retire within the next five years the question looms, where will the next generation of food manufacturers come from?

A recent report from the Liverpool Daily Post claimed that manufacturing recovery has been hampered by the skills gap. Lloyd Whiteley, chairman of Liverpool based food and agricultural group Edward Billington stated:

“At universities, engineering has gone downhill. It is now making a comeback, but there’s a gap in people in their 20’s and 30’s”.

Sharing a similar sentiment Richard Else, Operations Manager said:

“It was short-sighted of us four years ago when we cut back on these things, we should have invested in it (skills)”.

One regulatory body taking action against the apparent skills gap is The Food and Drink Federation. Noting the need for an influx of trained professionals in the industry they are calling for food manufactures to sign a pledge to increase the number of apprenticeships they offer.

Alongside the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink and the National Apprenticeship Service, the FDF hosted a workshop at the tail end of last year, with the explicit aim of informing on the benefits an apprentice can bring.

It seems that the sector itself is going someway to accommodate those looking to move into the food manufacturing and to nurture their talent. However do we also need a system in place to educate and entice the next generation into the industry?

Top 5 Christmas Product Launches 2011

A Verdict Research and SAS report has indicated that the UK will spend £1.2bn more on Christmas this year than last. With this in mind we’ve compiled a top 5 list of new food products launched for Christmas 2011, which products will prove popular amongst the Christmas shopper?

1) Heston Blumenthal’s Square Mince Pies

Following on from last years Hidden Orange Christmas Pudding Heston has now unveiled his own range of Mince Pies for Waitrose. Square in shape the pies are made from puff pastry as opposed to the traditional shortcrust variety.

Another noticeable variant from the customary mince pie is Blumenthal’s trick of infusing the filling with pine scented sugar to give off the aroma of what many view as the true smell of Christmas.

Waitrose Buyer Alison McLoughlin commented:

“A Heston from Waitrose Mince Pie is a complete re-invention of the humble mince pie.”

2) Grumpies of Cornwall Christmas Pies

A Cornish based pie company has created two pies especially for the Christmas market. Inspired by traditional festive fare the pies are a take on the conventional Christmas dinner. The first one being a turkey, cranberry and stuffing combination, accompanied by a vegetarian option of roast vegetable, stilton and chestnut.

Grumpies was co-founded by Mark Carne and Trevor Shea, and after their first year of business they are feeling positive about the future, with Carne stating:

“We’ve been massively encouraged by the response of the general public to these pies.”

The pies can be purchased at www.foodfromcornwall.co.uk and at selected food markets and delis in the Cornwall area.

3) Haribo Christmas Range

This year Haribo has unveiled its largest ever Christmas range, complete with new packaging formats and sweets.

The collection consists of Merry Snowmen, Sparkly Stars and Jolly Santas. All varieties are available in different sized packs from 50g grab bags, to 120g tube box and a 400g carry case containing 25 mini bags, amongst other options.

Herwig Vennekens, Managing Director of Haribo commented:

“Christmas may traditionally be dominated by chocolate but our growth during the 2010 season demonstrated a growing demand for Haribo gums and jellies; this combined with market research into festive purchase occasions has led us to launch our biggest ever range of Christmas themed treats.”

4) Limited Edition Muller Christmas Corner

From December 5^th two varieties of Muller Christmas Corner yogurts will be in stores for a four week period over the festive season.

Available in either the classic vanilla or strawberry flavour the yogurt pot will be accompanied by a crunch corner containing novelty yogurt covered snowflakes.

Muller Dairy’s Marketing Director Lee Robson stated that limited edition lines have been fruitful in attracting new customers to the brand in the past adding:

“Müller Corner is bought by more than half the households in Britain – well ahead of the 38% penetration level of its nearest competitor – so it’s well placed to boost seasonal sales by adding some festive cheer to the chiller cabinet with a Christmas Corner yogurt”

5) Linda McCartney Vegetarian Christmas Range

The well known vegetarian brand has released a new assortment of meat free goodies for the Christmas market. Offering an alternative to the long established turkey roast dinner Linda McCartney provides a Vegetarian Roast which takes less than an hour to cook.

Also part of the new range is a take on the classic party sausage within their veggie nibble selection, a full sized Rosemary & Red Onion Sausage, and Cranberry & Camebert Burger.

The range provides consumers with a varied meat free choice, complete