The chicken segment especially has driven this market’s strong performance in recent years, while turkey stands far behind chicken, capturing just over the 10% of the market (12p per £1). Steps are underway to boost its popularity, much needed by the bird seen by many as a Christmas food and less tasty than chicken. The game category as a whole is well positioned to tap into a number of longer-term consumer trends in food and to benefit once spending rebounds with sales forecasted to reach £111 million in 2015.

The first cases of bird flu in 2006 caused a sudden decline of poultry sales. Sales continued to fall in 2008, when the economic recession and a rapidly rising food inflation darkened even more the general market, forcing many shoppers cutting their budgets.

However, long-term the poultry market has been one of the beneficiaries in the recession. Thanks to its strong value image, enhanced by lower price inflation than seen in much of the red meat market, it saw volume sales return to growth in 2009.The market is expected to continue to enjoy growth in value terms in 2010, driven by a combination of food inflation and trading up by consumers, as the economy and incomes regain momentum, higher welfare and added value products.

And it seems consumers appreciate poultry meat, as more than 9 in 10 adults have bought poultry to eat at home. Fresh chicken, either whole or in various cuts, is the top choice, bought by 86% of people, while turkey is bought by just 37% of people, as it is still seen (by a sizeable minority) as Christmas food, and as being less tasty than chicken. Interestingly, Mintel demographics show that women are more likely than men to have bought most types of poultry and that its appeal rises with age.

Cruelty and provenance also appear to be at the heart of the industry encouraging consumers to pay a bit more for those variants. Although standard own-label chicken remains the most popular choice across age and income groups, premium own-label and free-range chicken are the closest competitors. In terms of provenance, the British origin scores well and represent an important choice factor for nearly two in three adults.

As many as two in five consumers who buy poultry still only eat turkey at Christmas, while 36% think it doesn’t taste as good as chicken. This demonstrates how one of the major challenges of the poultry market is to engage consumers with the turkey segment, highlighting turkey’s versatility, affordability and its potential role at the table 12 months a year, catering to the practical needs of a nation on a budget.

Manufacturers have faced rising ingredients costs, and this has been one of the key drivers pushing up value sales. At the same time, consumers are returning to familiar comfort foods. The economic downturn has put a dent in consumers’ disposable income, forcing them to re-evaluate and reconsider their spending priorities.

Pies and pasties have therefore seen new consumers entering the category as they rediscover the value it offers them, especially those on a limited budget.

While consumers are seeking value-for-money food products, looking out for special offers, they are less prepared to compromise on quality. Pies and pasties offer them a quick and easy meal solution that meets their needs for a filling traditional meal.

Nevertheless, an opportunity exists to grow the market by increasing frequency of consumption among the 43% of 34 million consumers of pies and pasties who are eating them once a month or less.

With tightening budgets and relatively less disposable income, as many as 71% of consumers agree that pies and pasties make a cheap and filling meal.

Competition from other convenience foods, such as pizzas, ready meals and ready-to-cook foods, should force more manufacturers of pies and pasties to focus on finding new points of differentiation by promoting the provenance of their ranges, as well as the quality of ingredients they use.

In terms of distribution, pies and pasties are mainly purchased through grocery multiples, especially given the significant presence of own-label ranges in the category. Last year almost 80% of pies were sold through multiple grocers.

Consumers are ‘creatures of habit’ when it comes to buying pies and pasties - only two fifths are adventurous enough to be trying out different flavoured pies and pasties. Over a quarter of consumers have eaten five or more different types of pies and pasties in the last year.

Just over four fifths of consumers have eaten pies and pasties in the last 12 months, with beef pies and sausage rolls being the favourites.

Just over a tenth of consumers have eaten a spicy pasty in the last year, compared to two fifths of consumer who have eaten Cornish pasties or pork pies.

Pies and pies are eaten fairly infrequently, with just over two fifths of consumers eating pies and pasties once a month or less. While 26% of consumers are choosing to snack on pies and pasties at home, 22% choose to snack on them on the go.

Finally, the market for pie and pasty consumption for breakfast remains untapped as only 3% of consumers eat them on this occasion.

The result is that the market as a whole increased its value from £610 million in 2008 to £650 million in 2009. A sharp rise of 7% compared to a 5% value sales decline between 2006 and 2007. Mintel’s research shows that this is because compared to key soft drink rivals, it is seen by consumers as being better for value, for money and for flavour. It also has the advantage of being longer-lasting once opened than any of its competitors, while the shift towards low sugar variants satisfies the ongoing consumer concern about calorie control. Moreover, the sector has been helped by the take-home trend, at a time when customers have been spending more time at home, rather than going out, in order to save money.

Despite the recent positive market performance, Mintel’s research shows how there is a substantial lack of investment by the major soft drinks players. This under development plus the emergence of health concerns can weaken the market, making it look staid and old-fashioned. Cordials and squash may be difficult to innovate, as users can be quite resistant to change. Nevertheless, there are some interesting market changes which are helping to modernise the sector and get consumers to re-appraise the nature of the product. One good example already seen in the market is making the process of dilution more convenient, controlled and funnier for kids. Four in five consumers (82%) like having control over how strong or weak squash and cordials are, and this is something that is a unique attribute of the category compared to other chilled soft drink competitors.

The other big issue in the market is that squash and cordials are still perceived as fundamentally unhealthy. Only 30% (8.5m) of buyers think squash/cordials are healthy compared to 68% (15.5m) for buyers of fruit juice. To tackle the demand for healthier drinks, cordial manufactures could aim at offering more premium alternatives, like healthier and more natural flavours rather than additives, more fruit content, and also more premium packaging eg stylish glass bottles rather than functional plastic.* In terms of promotional activity, a more targeted communication approach, focusing on women’s magazines and the utilization of online marketing such as Facebook and Twitter could help in renovating the market.

The market success relies then in a higher offer of healthier alternatives, a more targeted communication and customisation. Mintel’s research shows that mothers are a key target when buying squash and cordials, with over eight in ten women with children in the household have bought the product in the past 12 months. Today’s mothers (and women in general) are more confident and empowered mothers, knowing that they are key not just to their family’s purchasing decisions but also those of their female peers. For example, mothers are increasingly using the Internet to communicate their ideas and preferences, making word-of-mouth between them a powerful tool. Therefore brands can make more use of the growing number of mother and baby websites to educate consumers by generating debate, communities and offering free samples.

* Internal market environment

Leading manufacturer of advanced coding & marking technologies Allen Coding Systems, is continuing to overhaul Plamil Food’s coding process with the installation of a second 53LTi intermittent thermal transfer printer. Utilising the skill and experience of its sales and service teams, the ITW company overcame several hurdles to successfully retrofit the entry-level unit to a reliable but old packaging machine belonging to the ethical foods producer and contract packer. 

Helping to further boost capacity and enhance production efficiencies, the compact Allen Coding 53LTi thermal transfer printers are applying best before codes, times and batch numbers to different packaging substrates for Plamil Foods’ range of organic, dairy free and no added sugar chocolate bars as well as jars of spreads and egg free mayonnaise.

Adrian Ling from Plamil Foods comments: “We are delighted with this latest coder. It was a tricky installation but the Allen Coding team persevered until they got it right. The overall performance of the 53LTi is excellent and has helped completely revolutionise our coding process.

He continues: “We have a policy of dealing with ethical businesses so it says a lot that we continue to go back to Allen Coding. The service is always excellent and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the company to other food manufacturers.”

Plamil Foods supplies its products to retailers, wholesalers and food catering / manufacturing companies on a global basis. It currently exports to approximately 40 countries.

Allen Coding’s 53LTi provides many of the advanced features of more expensive thermal transfer units including 300 dpi print resolution; cassette ribbon loading; 600-metre ribbon capacity; 53mm x 30mm print area with print speeds up to 250mm per second; and a best of breed thermal print head.

It can be easily integrated with a wide range of packaging equipment such as vertical and horizontal form-fill-seal systems, primary labellers, thermo formers and over wrappers.

Compared to traditional three-component thermal transfer printers with multiple connection points, the two-component design of the 53LTi offers a single connection point, minimising space requirements and further improving reliability.

The unit’s versatility allows it to print a variety of fixed and variable data. It is ideal for marking labels and other packaging substrate with RSS barcodes; linear and composite barcodes; real time; sell-by dates; batch numbers; company logos; prices and source codes.

The 53LTi comes standard with an operator keypad and Windows-based full-featured label design software.

The new thermal transfer printer is backed by Allen Coding Systems’ pan-European 24/7 customer service and support.

Allen Coding Systems

Steve Ryan

Tel: 01438 347 770

www.allencoding.co.uk

As a responsible employer, Hilti acknowledged that it had a duty of care to its staff and wanted to ensure their safety so Hilti decided to provide them with lone worker devices.  The company’s initial choice of device proved unsatisfactory as the batteries needed frequent recharging, the units were unreliable and often self-activated. When searching for a device-based solution provided by a company approved through audit against BS8484, and with the additional benefit of being the only lone worker device to be awarded ACPO’s Secured by Design (SBD) status, Stuart Lamb, National Hilti Centre Manager, chose Identicom® as part of a SoloProtect lone worker protection solution from Connexion2.

“We looked at other devices on the market but chose Identicom as it is simple to use and is backed by Connexion2’s excellent pricing structure and service”, said Stuart Lamb. “In addition, the fact that the company and its solutions featuring Identicom, have been audited and approved against BS8484, the new British Standard for Lone Worker Device Services, provides us and our employees with additional reassurance”.

Hilti now has 39 Identicom units, with 25 being used by personnel working in its 21 stores and 14, equipped with GPS, for mobile workers who travel from store to store.

In March 2010 USDAW (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers - including the shop workers union, key representatives from local and national government, police, and retail employers) reported that there were over 13,000 physical attacks in 2009 as well as hundreds of thousands of retail staff facing verbal abuse routinely.

Unlike ‘under the counter’ panic buttons which are more costly to install and often cannot be reached if the shop worker is away from the counter stacking shelves or checking on product, the Identicom is always to hand and operable whether the worker is opening or closing premises, inside the store, outside on a banking run or in transit to or from the store.  It provides an innovative solution to the problems of verbal abuse and physical assault by enabling the shop worker to discreetly summon help at the touch of a button, without breaking eye contact with an aggressor, regardless of where they are and without the expensive of installing a wired infrastructure. The product also facilitates the recording of credible audio-evidence, which is admissible in court proceedings helping facilitate a criminal conviction at a later date.

Connexion2 Limited

Tel: 0844 856 6606

www.connexion2.com

Seymour’s unique Tempro® is a lightweight insulation material with exceptional thermal properties. It is available in different specifications and can be manufactured into an extensive range of spatial shapes, containers and insulating covers.

Introducing the TT33 at Intercool, SMI are showing a new lightweight and easily portable tent which can be used as a chiller or freezer. Along with the new T3 condenser/evaporator base, this pioneering development from SMI can be seen  on Stand D36 in Hall 13. It is a unique and easy way of maintaining chilled and frozen products anywhere in the world. The TT33 with its simple-to-erect frame and lightweight fabric panels is modular and extremely efficient. The unit is chilled or frozen via a mobile evaporator which is transportable on its robust T3 wheeled base. Using a standard 220v/240v electrical supply, the TT33 can be used anywhere mains power or a suitable generator is available. Assembly, transportation and maintenance costs are minimal and two people can set up the TT33 in 15 to 20 minutes. Modular plastic flooring is available from SMI and strongly  recommended, as well as racking, storm straps, pegs and ties for outside  use. Once assembled, the TT33 is 3 metres square, 2.1 metres high internally and provides a chilled or frozen internal space of approximately 18 cubic metres.

One of the company’s  most successful products is Tempro® Cold  Stop®, the insulated strip curtain for cold stores and freezers. The traditional way to prevent high temperature ambient air entering a cold room or freezer when the heavy main door is open was to fit plastic strip curtains. Cold Stop® is the next generation of energy and CO2 saving thermal barriers offering up to a 33% improvement over traditional non insulated barriers. Not only does Cold  Stop® return investment in a matter of months but it also helps minimise ice build-up which can be a slip hazard in freezers. Cold Stop® is already used extensively by most major supermarkets in the UK and across Europe.

SMI’s new Green Door can be single or twin opening and uses SMI’s unique extruded aluminium profile and gasket system to prevent thermal bridging between cold and warm environments. SMI’s patented Tempro® insulation is used to provide thermal protection and every  modular construction door has  durable but adjustable swing-through hinges. Every Tempro® door panel has a clear see-through window for personnel safety. Each door is fitted with tough high impact buffers both back and front to ensure minimal maintenance needs and a low cost of ownership. SMI’s Green door is energy saving, lightweight but  tough, hard wearing, low maintenance, cost effective and efficient.

Other popular  products from SMI on display at Intercool include the company’s insulated roll cage covers, trolley covers and box liners which are used for a variety of products and storage systems. Tempro® roll cage covers have returned enormous savings to many industries when used to transport a mix of chilled, frozen and ambient products in non refrigerated vehicles.

SMI has a programme of continuous product development and is working alongside its customers to ensure the latest technological developments are delivered to the market at the earliest opportunity.

Seymour Manufacturing International Ltd

Brian Seymour

Tel: 01952 730630

E: Click here to email this company

Leading plastics packaging specialist, Faerch Plast has launched an attractive and practical range of packaging specially designed for pet food products. Produced from AMPET® (Ambient Polyethylene), the innovative new packs provide a low cost, environmentally-friendly alternative to tins.

AMPET® was purpose developed by Faerch Plast for the packaging of ambient products. The material is lightweight yet stable, and ideal for different types of pet foods. It does not taint the taste of the food which given a dog’s keen sense of taste and smell, is an important detail. AMPET® can also be tailored to any desired shape and colour, making it easy to keep step with changing market demands.

In addition, AMPET® is more cost effective than the materials which are traditionally used for pet food packaging. It takes up less space in storage and in transit as it is stackable - a cost reduction reflected in the bottom line and that benefits the environment. AMPET® consists of only one type of raw material allowing it to be used repeatedly in production. As a result, more than 99 per cent of the raw material is used and only 1 per cent remains as waste.

Faerch Plast is currently working to incorporate scrap PET in its production delivering reduced energy consumption and lower CO2 emissions. After use, the packaging can be incinerated and converted into new energy.

“The pet food market is an ideal target for us. AMPET® is an environmentally-friendly alternative which offers the possibility of completely new and innovative designs,” says Faerch Plast’s CEO Lars Gade Hansen.

In choosing AMPET®, pet food producers are able to improve product differentiation through the shape and colour of the packaging, and also enjoy greater flexibility. At the same time, the demands of pet owners are increasing with portion servings high on their agendas, as well as packaging which is light and easy to take on trips.

Mr Gade Hansen concludes: “Faerch Plast’s range is adapted to market developments and can meet any pet food packaging need.”

For information on Faerch Plast Ltd’s products please contact:

Faerch Plast Ltd

Joe Iannidinardo

Tel: 020 8254 2300

Email:  Click here to email this company

www.faerchplast.co.uk

Having already worked with National Flexible on a number of previous projects, they were the obvious choice when Ringers needed to develop a new pack capable of holding 2kg of product.

National Flexible’s technical team came up with a bespoke multi-layer material to give the bag strength and durability as well as strong shelf-appeal to make it stand out in a competitive market.

The artwork for the new packs was created by National Flexible’s in-house design agency NXL Design and incorporates a clear area in the print so that the product inside the bag is visible to the end-user.

Ringer Baits founder and angling expert Phil Ringer was quick to endorse National Flexible’s handiwork - “They are an outstanding company to work with. Their commitment to quality and the ease of their design service were the major factors in choosing them as my packaging supplier,” he said.

The new bait packs are currently available on-line and from retail stockists throughout the UK.

If you’re interested in stocking or distributing Ringer Baits, then please contact Phil Ringer on 07767640298 or email Click here to email this company

To discuss your packaging or design requirements please contact National Flexible on 01274 685566 or email Click here to email this company

Easilift nominated Bowmer & Kirkland for the 2010 Confederation of Construction Specialists Main Contractor of the Year award after the companies worked together on a demanding recent project for Tesco.

The scheme, in Teesport, Middlesbrough, involved the construction of a new 90,000 sq m distribution centre and saw Easilift supply and fit 76 dock leveller loading pods and 15 double deck lifting platforms, incorporating PowerDoor sectional overhead doors and PowerShelter collapsible dock shelters.

It was the latest in around 70 projects the two companies have worked on together over the past 20 years, including additional developments for Tesco and other leading retailers such as Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Next, Boots and B&Q.

What made the Teesport project significant was that the building had to be exceptionally airtight, meaning that a significant amount of work went into sealing the junctions between Easilift’s loading pods and the buildings’ outer walls to prevent leaks.

Rob Fay, managing director of Easilift Loading Systems, said that the problem was solved through close and in-depth co-operation between Bowmer & Kirkland, built environment experts BSRIA and Easilift, who were involved in the project from the planning phase right through to completion. It was this co-operative approach which earned Bowmer & Kirkland Easilift’s nomination, and which eventually led to them picking up the award.

Mr Fay said: “It’s a cliché, but they do say that the word TEAM stands for Together Everyone Achieves More and that is certainly what we have proven time and time again when working with Bowmer & Kirkland.

“At Teesport, Bowmer & Kirkland set themselves an extremely high air permeability target and they recognised that meeting the required standard meant close co-operation with ourselves.

“Unfortunately that is not always the case with main contractors, who can sometimes keep sub-contractors very much at arm’s length. Bowmer & Kirkland are very different; they share our belief that all stakeholders need to be collectively engaged if a project is to be really successful, which is why we have enjoyed such a long and successful association with them and why we nominated them for this award.”

Tesco’s new distribution centre achieved air permeability of 0.41m3/(h.m2) and an air leakage index of just 0.69m3/(h.m2). This puts it way above the industry norm, and even above Tesco’s already stringent airtightness standards.

“It would have been easy for Bowmer & Kirkland to set their standard and pass the problem of solving the potential leaky interface between the loading pods and the wall to us,” Mr Fay added.

“But instead, they commissioned BSRIA for design advice and air testing and then fully co-operated with us, giving full consideration to the impact of the unusual additional requirements we were being asked to fulfil.

“By collaborating with us and sharing information in the early stages of the project, it enabled us to work together in finding an early solution so that the project completion date was never at risk.

“We are obviously delighted that Bowmer & Kirkland has now won the Confederation of Construction Specialists Main Contractor of the Year award.”

The award was presented by Paul Morrell, the Government’s Chief Construction Advisor, to Bowmer & Kirkland’s Regional Director, David Horton, at a recent ceremony held at the RAF Club in Piccadilly, London.

Tesco is one of a number of blue-chip companies on Easilift’s customer list, which reads like a roll-call of some of the biggest names in UK retailing, manufacturing, distribution, logistics, warehousing and the service sector.

The company, based in Kirkburton, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, has itself just achieved Investors in People Bronze status accreditation, which places the company at the leading edge of best people management practice in the UK in its sector.

It is already an active participant in the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) and all its engineers are fully qualified under the CITB Site Supervisor Safety Training Scheme (SSSTS).

And it was also one of the first in its sector to achieve the prestigious SAFEcontractor accreditation, a scheme which independently assesses the health and safety record and competency of contractors and, as such, confirms to prospective customers that effective policies and systems are in place.

Easilift Loading Systems Ltd

Tel: 08451 301920

Email: Click here to email this company

www.easilift.co.uk

Based near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, Wagg Foods is a family owned company and is the UK’s largest independent supplier of quality dry dog food. It has more than 25 years experience manufacturing nutritious foods and treats for domestic pets and small animals, which are sold in leading supermarkets and independent retailers across the UK.

As keen advocates of the green agenda, the manufacturer sources ingredients locally and uses state-of-the-art production, handling processes and equipment to increase efficiency.

Looking at how it could reduce transport miles across its supply chain and overcome the effects of an unreliable pallet delivery service into its site, which caused ongoing problems in production areas, Wagg switched to IPP Logipal’s dependable yet flexible one-way trip pallet solution.

IPP Logipal’s pallets, which are perfectly suited to Wagg’s automated palletising processes, are used to deliver a range of pet food products to customers across the UK. The service also supports the company’s commercial activities in Europe. Overall well in excess of 100,000 pallets trips are made per annum.

Once utilised, pallet collections are arranged by IPP Logipal, with inspections then carried out against IPP Logipal’s strict quality criteria, ensuring Wagg Foods receives consistently high-quality pallets.

Manager at Wagg, Andy Carver, comments: “With our previous pallet supplier we were wasting time and labour costs on sorting out the damaged pallets from the ones we could use and chasing deliveries. After switching to IPP Logipal’s service we have found the quality of pallets is far superior and the one way trip system much easier to administer, making the operation much more efficient.

Carver added: “With high-quality pallets and an excellent support service, IPP Logipal simply do what they promise, which enables us to focus on our products and customers.”

IPP Logipal UK

Tel: 01676 524000

www.ipplogipal.co.uk