WINTER 2014 ISSUE: 01 ACQUIRESERVICES.CO.UK DRIVING SALES New laws governing the promotion of allergens, ready? Page 2 Salmon, a great seafood idea for the festive season. Page 9 Find out more about Nick Ryan, Acquire’s new Sales Director. Page 7 ALLERGENS PROMOTIONS A SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS Rewarding Good Health The ‘VAVISTA AWARDS’ have been developed by leading NHS consultant, Dr Sally Norton, as a means to recognise manufacturers, which are innovating and investing in order to combat the rising obesity epidemic in the UK. Page 3
Transcript
Win
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New laws governing the
promotion of allergens, ready?
Page 2
Salmon, a great seafood idea
for the festive season.
Page 9
Find out more about Nick Ryan,
Acquire’s new Sales Director.
Page 7
AllErgEnS PromotIonS
A SUStAInAblE ChrIStmAS
rewarding good healthThe ‘VAVISTA AWARDS’ have been developed by leading NHS consultant, Dr Sally Norton, as a means to recognise manufacturers, which are innovating and investing in order to combat the rising obesity epidemic in the uk. Page 3
New school drinks legislation? We’re ready, naturally.innocent fruity water is already fully compliant with the new school drinks legislation that’s coming in 2015. Jump straight to the top of the class by making sure you’re ready by the start of term.
Fruity water is 50% pure fruit juice & 50% spring water.
For more details contact your wholesaler or email us at [email protected]
tastes good, does good
redefining food procurement
Page 4-5
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FooD trADE DIrECt
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EPSYS
EPSYSA leading e-procurement system that can save you time and money across your processes, from purchasing to payment, and all aspects of margin control
mEtrICSHelps you fully understand what you’ve purchased, and who from, in real time using a personalised portal
grEEn10Gives food related businesses the tools to create, measure and report their responsible sourcing strategies
FooD trADE DIrECtEnables smaller organisations to select, trade with and manage their suppliers online
EFFEcTIVE
SolUtIonS AT youR
FINGERTIPS
ClArItYcomparing your purchasing performance against the industry average
AnAlYSIS InSIg
ht C
lA
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Y
ADvAntAgE
StA
bIl
ItY
InSIghtMarket Reports, which give you the confidence to make the right decisions for your business
StAbIlItYStabilising prices for the long term, by using Acquire’s market rates to control suppliers’ price fluctuations
AnAlYSISReviewing your procurement processes prior to making key recommendations
ADvAntAgESaving time and money by engaging with our exclusive purchasing agreements, supplier negotiation skills and business intelligence systems
EFFIcIENT
SErvICES To IMPRoVE
youR buSINESS
There’s been a few changes at Acquire since the last edition of
connections. Mia Lowden, the previous Editor of connections
has been promoted to Sales office Manager and I’m her
replacement - in my second week of my new role!
Previously, I was part of the client Account Facilitator Team
– which involved making sure that all our clients queries and
concerns relating to supplier trading were looked after. but it
was time for change, and here I am, now a commercial Manager
for Acquire’s operational Division with special focus on single
sites and small groups and I’m really looking forward to helping
you make the best of Acquire.
In this issue of connections we’ve asked a range of key suppliers
to tell us about their christmas products and we have asked Nick
Ryan, our new Sales Director what attracted him to Acquire.
The marketing department has also recently completed a new
piece of material that seeks to communicate the whole range of
services and solutions offered by Acquire, this is reproduced on
pages 4 and 5.
This issue also has a range of interesting news items and
upcoming dates for your diary.
As I’m new to the editor role I’m asking for your help. If you have
any suggestions for improvement then please let me know, you
We’ve revamped the way that Connections looks. We hope you like it.
Grace Gray coMMERcIAL MANAGER INDEPENDENT
ContEntS | Welcome connections magazine
news & People
news & People
Focus on Foodservice Footprint
british Food Still the nation’s Favourite
Page 6
news & People
Exciting times
Page 7
news & People
Suppliers
Suppliers
Winter issue 2014 | connections | 1
Acquire
A pinch (or two!) of salt…
Winter 2014
the hospitality Industry has been waking up to the changes it will need to make across menus, and food packaging, as the new law governing the way allergens are highlighted on food comes into effect on December 13th.
Many operators have worked
ahead of the deadline – but for
those who are still considering
the implications, check out the
facts below:
The new law is as a result of an
Eu directive called the ‘Food
Information for consumers
Regulation’. It will encompass
retail packaging, loose products
and menus in all out of home
environments. That includes
workplace sites, restaurants,
hotels, pubs, schools,
universities and hospitals
– to name but a few.
The aim is simple - it is to provide consumers with a single system, replacing general nutritional labelling which has been cited as ‘confusing’.
A pinch (or two!) of salt… An international survey has revealed that the UK is, in some cases, serving less than half the levels of salt that other countries are using in the same foods. that’s good news for UK operators and the government in the fight to improve the nation’s health, and reduce sodium levels.
However, there are implications
for both the uk and other
nations as the research, by
World Action on Salt and
Health (WASH), showed
that not only is salt use by
a number of leading chains
hugely disparate from one
country to another but that
not one product surveyed was
consistent in its salt content.
The news has led to WASH
calling for action from all
food manufacturers to bring
products in line with global
salt intake targets.
According to clare Farrand,
International Programme lead at
WASH, manufacturers are clearly
able to make products with less
salt, but deliberately choose not
to, despite salt damaging their
customer’s health.
She says: “This study also
highlights a lack of consistent
nutrition labelling and portion
size across the world which is
adding to consumer confusion,
as people cannot choose the
less salty options, even if they
want to.”
“Consistent front of pack nutrient labelling should be provided on all products to allow consumers to make better-informed choices.”
Dates for the diary
28 november 2014Hotel cateys
Park Plaza, London
30 november 2014 St Andrew’s Day
Scotland
8 December 2014
Ethics in Education (Footprint)
Tavistock Sq. London
nEWS & PEoPlE | World action on salt & health | allergen labelling
Are you ready to crack the allergen nut?
2 | connections | Winter issue 2014
bY Dr SAllY norton
rewarding good health
19-21 January 2015The Hospitality Show
The NEc birmingham
nEWS & PEoPlE | VaVista aWards connections magazine
From September this year the Government has been funding free school meals for Reception, year 1 and year 2 pupils, which will see an additional 1.5 million children entitled to a free lunch.
Winter issue 2014 | connections | 3
A new award scheme is
set to take centre-stage
across Hospitality looking to
reward those food producers
and suppliers, which are
‘demonstrating better choices
for health and wellbeing.’
The ‘VAVISTA AWARDS’
have been developed by
leading NHS consultant, Dr
Sally Norton, as a means to
recognise manufacturers which
are innovating and investing
in order to combat the rising
obesity epidemic in the uk.
The awards are free to enter
and cover food & nutrition,
health & wellbeing and fitness.
Dr Sally says:
“The health of Britain is not just down to personal responsibility; the supply chain has a big responsibility to help consumers make better choices by offering us great products with clear health benefits.
I’m not attacking manufacturers of chocolate or crisps – all I am saying is that whatever industry you’re in, and however large or small your company, there are ways to improve your products to help consumers make healthier choices.
Even implementing something as simple as clear labelling at least gives consumers a chance to make an informed choice about what they’re looking at.”
For the winners, the scheme
aims to make highlighting best
practice simpler with an award
which marks them out as leaders
in the fight against obesity.
bY Dr SAllY norton
NEXT PAGE
Redefining food procurement
REDEFINING food procurement
ACqUIrE | redefining food procurement Winter 2014
4 | connections | Winter issue 2014
gr
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FooD trADE DIrECt
m
Et
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EPSYS
EPSYSA leading e-procurement system that can save you time and money across your processes, from purchasing to payment, and all aspects of margin control
mEtrICSHelps you fully understand what you’ve purchased, and who from, in real time using a personalised portal
grEEn10Gives food related businesses the tools to create, measure and report their responsible sourcing strategies
FooD trADE DIrECtEnables smaller organisations to select, trade with and manage their suppliers online
For over 20 years we have helped businesses achieve better results by understanding their procurement activity, forecasting future market trends, clarifying expenditure, stabilising supplier prices and providing genuine cost savings.
Today, with a purchasing volume of over £1 billion we offer a tailored approach that many of the most respected food service operators trust and rely upon.
gr
EE
n10
FooD trADE DIrECt
m
Et
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S
EPSYS
ClArItYcomparing your purchasing performance against the industry average
AnAlYSIS InSIg
ht C
lA
rIt
Y
ADvAntAgE
StA
bIl
ItY
InSIghtMarket Reports, which give you the confidence to make the right decisions for your business
StAbIlItYStabilising prices for the long term, by using Acquire’s market rates to control suppliers’ price fluctuations
AnAlYSISReviewing your procurement processes prior to making key recommendations
ADvAntAgESaving time and money by engaging with our exclusive purchasing agreements, supplier negotiation skills and business intelligence systems
EFFIcIENT
SErvICES To IMPRoVE
youR buSINESS
Focus on Foodservice Footprint
Winter 2014nEWS & PEoPlE | footprint forum | compass group
6 | connections | Winter issue 2014
the nation’s love of traditional cuisine shows no sign of abating, as survey findings revealed by travel, restaurant and entertainment Deal Experts at travelzoo show that people favour restaurants serving british food over all other cuisines.
More than 2,000 adults were
polled and asked to rank their
preferences when it comes to
dining out in their local area.
In addition to selecting british
food as their cuisine of choice,
over 70% of people said they
have a favourite local restaurant
they frequent regularly.
Heather Rogers, General
Manager of Travelzoo’s uk
restaurant deal business said,
“british consumers like to think
of themselves as adventurous
in their dining habits, but we
have found there is still a
real affection for traditional
british food.
but, what is british food
today? To take a look at the
perception of british cuisine
abroad, Travelzoo’s teams of
restaurant Deal Experts in the
company’s 25 global offices
reviewed the menus of so-
called ‘british restaurants’ in
their region and the findings
were rather unexpected. In
addition to finding something
called ‘shepherd’s pie egg roll’
in a restaurant near Travelzoo’s
chicago office, the teams also
found the following weird and
wonderful interpretations of
british food:
1. new Zealand: Pizza with a
cheesy Marmite-stuffed crust
2. new York, USA: Traditional
bangers and mash complete
with gravy, for breakfast!
3. benidorm, Spain: black
pudding with bacon, mushrooms
and mango chutney
4. hong Kong, China: Scotch
egg and avocado salad
5. Sydney, Australia: bacon and
black pudding sandwich
back on home soil, Indian
restaurants were the second
most popular dining choice,
followed by Italian and chinese.
The survey also uncovered
regional differences. For
example, brighton’s pizza and
pasta lovers voted Italian their
number-one choice, while Scots,
Londoners and Mancunians
plumped for an Indian curry
over british cuisine.
In terms of frequency of dining
out, 18-24-year-olds are the
most avid restaurant-goers, with
nearly 30% dining out several
times a month, compared to
16% of those aged 45-54. This
age group are also the biggest
fans of American food, with
nearly a tenth claiming this as
their all-time favourite type
of cuisine. Interestingly, of all
adults polled, 18-24-year-olds
are the least enamoured with
british food – just 14% chose it
as their favourite. The average
brit prefers to travel no more
than 20 minutes to dine out.
However, 64% of Londoners are
happy to travel for more than
20 minutes – perhaps due to
the wide variety of restaurant
options across the city.
The complete list of britain’s 10
favourite restaurant cuisines is
as follows:
british Food Still the nation’s Favourite
Acquire is proud to have been a member of Footprint Forum since its foundation in 2009.Charles miers, Footprint’s mD explains what Footprint Forum is, what it has achieved and how you could engage with the sustainability/responsible sourcing agenda…
1. british 2. Indian3. Italian4. Chinese5. gastro Pub 6. thai 7. American
8. mexican 9. French 10. Sushi/
Japanese.
bY ChArlES mIErS
After 20 years in sales, marketing and procurement I find myself arriving at Acquire at a pivotal time. You are always aware of competitors’ strengths and weakness when you work in a specific industry, and I’ve joined from an organisation that is similar to Acquire but which worked predominantly with hotels and, in a smaller way, the care sector.
I always kept a close eye on
Acquire and coveted what
they were offering to their
clients. It always seemed to
me that they were one step
ahead (in reality, a long way
ahead) of their competitors,
and I carefully followed their
progress. I became familiar
with the power and benefits of
the epsys e-trading platform
because no-one else in the
foodservice procurement arena
had anything like it to offer
their clients.
Now I’m working with Acquire
it’s even more obvious that
epsys is unique. No other
system gets close to delivering
such control of the buying
process and is able to add
value through online business
intelligence services like
Green10, Metrics and the
market tracking services
delivered online via the
“clarity” dashboard system.
Acquire understand that if you
are helping an organisation
buy better you need to keep
proving your worth and
unless investment is made in
improving the value of what
you do for your customers
then the relationship can be
short-lived. Too many buying
organisations trade on a basis
of cost alone where margins
are continually stripped out
of an arrangement, naturally
reducing the value to the
supplier. buying Groups have
become middle men with
a lack of infrastructure and
now have great difficulty in
proving ongoing value to
clients at any stage of the
procurement process.
Acquire have always been at
the other end of the scale.
Firstly, they have a board with
an experience and knowledge
of food procurement that
can’t be rivalled. Secondly
they have developed market
leading technology that truly
understands the needs of
the client. Whether financial
control, stock management,
real time management
reporting, margin control, best
practice in responsible buying,
allergen reporting, nutrition,
etc. I could go on.
So, there’s plenty to do and
one of the first things is to
make sure that Acquire is
no longer the foodservice
industry’s best kept secret!
Working with Acquire’s
marketing team, I’m going to
Exciting times
nEWS & PEoPlE | nick ryan connections magazine
Nick Ryan can be contacted on 07764 961838 or at [email protected]. If you have
any friends or colleagues that may have a need for the services Acquire offers then please let Nick
know. There’s an Acquire Reward waiting for you.
Nick Ryan has just joined Acquire as Sales Director. We asked Nick why he decided to join us, and his plans for the future.
Winter issue 2014 | connections | 7
be focused on making sure
our reach to customers is
widened and new channels
and markets recognise the
benefits we can bring to their
business, whilst also tailoring
our offer to suit every relevant
market sector. In any business
I have worked in it’s always the
same, if you can’t define what
can be done to improve the
working process/experience
of everyone involved in a food
service business - from owner
to staff to customer - then you
need to rethink your strategy.
I know that’s who Acquire are
and it’s time to tell anyone
who’ll listen. Exciting times.
NEXT PAGE
Save £’s on Mccain chips this christmas
SUPPlIErS | mccain chips | hildon Water Winter 2014
8 | connections | Winter issue 2014
mcCain Signature gastro Chunky and Signature gastro thick are available to Acquire customers this Christmas with show stopping savings! Please contact your Contract manager for full details.
Mccain Gastro Thick cut chips
are Mccain’s handmade style
chips that boast great texture
and flavour. Mccain Signatures
chunky Gastro chip is our
closest to homemade chips that
you will be proud to serve to
your customers.
both chips work perfectly
whether they’re complementing
a main meal or served alone.
The Mccain Gastro chips are
the perfect chip to help you
captivate the hearts (and taste
buds) of hungry consumers.
get your roasts right this Christmas.
Mccain classic Roasts and
Signature Roasts are on
promotion November –
December 2014, helping Acquire
customers get their roasts right
this christmas.
Mccain classic Roasts are
a great frozen solution for
those customers looking for
high quality and cost saving
roasts. classic Roasts potatoes
have a golden appearance and
are light and fluffy on the inside,
hildon is no ordinary bottled water; it is a natural mineral Water, which means that with every bottle of hildon the quality, taste and purity are guaranteed. A natural mineral water is the best possible water you can drink. the term natural mineral Water in the UK is a legal definition with the same force and reassurance as the wording, Appellation d’origine Contrôlée, on a bottle of wine.
Hildon Natural Mineral Water
comes from beneath the chalk
hills in the famous Test Valley,
Hampshire, England and goes
into every bottle in the same
pristine condition as when it first
came out of the ground: 100%
pure, crystal clear and pollutant
free. It is the healthiest way
to hydrate without sugar
or calories.
Hildon contains essential
minerals and trace elements and
is naturally low in sodium (many
bottled waters have a high
sodium content). Minerals are
essential in our diets for various
body functions and form part of
the recommended daily intake.
The health benefits of drinking
Natural Mineral Water are varied,
from help with weight loss
and detoxification, a clearer
glowing complexion, glossy
hair, better digestion, more
vitality, improved concentration,
stronger bones and teeth,
healthier organs and much more.
Hildon has been the consecutive
Winner of the uk chef’s choice
Award 2013 and 2014 for bottled
water and is regularly selected
in blind tastings by Sommeliers
and chefs for its exceptional
flavour. Hildon is supplied to
some of the most prestigious
restaurants, hotels and venues
worldwide and is the brand
selected by Her Majesty The
Queen for the Royal Household!
Whether it is ‘Delightfully Still’ or
‘Gently Sparkling’, Hildon has a
distinctive, delicious taste.
with a savoury crispy coating on
the outside to help retain heat.
Mccain Signature roasts are
perfect homemade style roasts,
made your way! our Signature
roasts are perfect for customers
who prefer to cook from
scratch, the same process is just
made easier, saving hassle and
time in preparation.
Signature roasts are tasty
roast potatoes that deliver a
homemade feel and are a sure
favourite amongst customers;
crispy on the outside and
packed full of flavour, they
look handmade for the perfect
traditional roast.
Save £’s on mcCain gastro Chips this Christmas!
hildon natural mineral water
connections magazine
A Sustainable Christmas
however, with consumers’ expanding awareness of food through restaurant catering and media coverage, the desire to try new foods has caused the requirement for alternative species and new products as an addition or alternative to Salmon in the ways it has commonly been served.
Direct Seafoods are constantly
looking for new products
to assist customers in menu
development. A fantastic twist
on the much loved smoked
salmon is Direct Seafoods’
christmas version of this
product. Marinated in mulled
wine and topped with crushed
cranberries and orange zest,
the christmas Smoked Salmon
combines all the flavours of
christmas in this fish dish
traditional starter. Sold as a
fresh product, just like other
smoked salmon; the christmas
Smoked Salmon will be
available from all Direct Seafood
depots around the uk during
the month of December.
other fresh, sustainable
alternatives for the christmas
period, along with the obvious
choices of Prawns and crab,
include Sea bass, bream and
Trout. The knowledgeable and
trained team at Direct Seafoods
are able to assist by advising on
sustainable seafood products
for your menus, contact Acquire
for details of your local Direct
Seafoods depot.
Direct Seafoods & Sustainability.Sustainability is a topic
increasingly featured in the
media and so consumer
awareness of sustainability and
seafood is growing. In fact, The
Sustainable Seafood coalition
(SSc) has been mentioned
recently in many national
newspapers. The origins
of the sustainable seafood
movement can be traced back
to 1996 when unilever and the
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
began discussions on how
best to assure the long-term
sustainability of global fish
stocks and the integrity of the
marine ecosystem. These talks
led to the creation of the Marine
Stewardship council (MSc), the
world’s first eco-label provider
for seafood.
Fast-forward 13 years and
programs have matured to once
inconceivable levels, thanks
largely to consumers’ growing
awareness of fish sustainability
issues. As the leading fresh fish
supplier to the uk restaurant
and catering trades, Direct
Seafoods takes sustainability
extremely seriously; actively
encouraging all its customers
to use sustainable, wild-caught
and farmed species.
For a long time, Salmon has been associated with the British Christmas Menu, and still remains one of the most popular seafood dishes during the Christmas season.
SUPPlIErS | direct seafoods
Winter issue 2014 | connections | 9
*Source: AC Nielsen MAT 22.03.14. **BelVita breakfast biscuits have a high content of slowly digestible starch, which is a slow-release carbohydrate. Consumption of foods high in slowly digestible starch raises blood glucose concentration less after a meal compared
to foods with a lower content of slowly digestible starch. Proven in several clinical studies. †Source AC Nielsen MAT 19.04.14.
OV96
95
Proven to slowly release carbohydrates over four hours when consumed within a balanced breakfast.**
The leading Breakfast Biscuit† now in a convenient top up format.
