Holdsworth Chocolates announces limited edition Christmas 2011 selection

Holdsworth Chocolates, which produces exquisite handmade chocolates in the heart of the Derbyshire Peak District, has unveiled its range for Christmas 2011.

Led by creative director Genevieve Holdsworth, a team of skilled chocolatiers will be combining the finest chocolate and real fruit to produce delightful handmade – not just hand-finished – treats for the festive season.

Whether you’re looking for a luxury gift for that chocolate-loving special person, a stunning centrepiece for the festive dinner table or the perfect finish to your Christmas meal, Holdsworth has the answer with prices ranging from £3.95 to £17.95.

At the heart of the selection are Holdsworth’s eye-catching Chocolate Flower Pots and scrumptious individual rum and raisin Christmas Puddings.

“Christmas is a time when people want tradition, quality, value for money and, most of all, taste,” said Genevieve Holdsworth.

“Our selection – fully handmade using only the finest ingredients – has something for everyone – all tastes and budgets.

“Holdsworth’s Chocolate Flower Pots with their hand-tied ribbons and decorative wraps provide a real wow factor.

“Meanwhile our rum and raisin Christmas Puddings are a delightful and fun way to finish a festive meal.”

The full Christmas selection features:
• The Chocolate Flower Pot – 350g milk chocolate vase filled with individual chocolates and decorated with a seasonal flower and co-ordinating hand tied bow and decorative wrap. Recommended retail price £17.95.
• Christmas Pudding – 100g rum and raisin truffle centre, hand enrobed with thick bitter plain chocolate topped with crystallised peppermint leaves and real cranberries. This delightful mini festive pudding has a recommended retail price £4.99.
• Limited Edition Christmas Chocolate Selection – 375g or 240g gift boxes containing limited edition handmade milk, plain and white Christmas themed chocolates such as caramellised clementine cream, port and cranberry cream and chestnut praline to name but a few. Recommended retail prices £16.95 and £12.95, respectively.

The 2011 selection also includes gift bags containing:
• Dipped apricots in milk, plains and white chocolate - 150g gift bag for £4.25
• Dipped stem ginger in plain chocolate – 100g gift bag for £3.95
• Dipped orange slices in plain chocolate – 100g gift bag for £3.95
• Dipped marrons glace in milk, plain and white chocolate – 150g for £6.95
• A selection of limited edition milk, plain and white chocolates – 150g for £5.95.

Over the past three years Holdsworth’s expert chocolatiers have won a string of golds in the Great Taste Awards organised by the Guild of Fine Food.

Stockists include Harrods, Selfridges, Waitrose, Chatsworth House shop and Chatsworth Farm Shop and Ibbotsons of Ashford.

Based in Bakewell, Derbyshire, Holdsworth has been producing chocolates since 1988.

The company was created by Barbara Holdsworth. Spurred on by a passionate belief in making chocolates by hand, she developed her own recipes using only the finest ingredients.

She handed over to daughter Genevieve in 2002 and now the company’s team of dedicated chocolatiers continues to innovate and delight.

Holdsworth Chocolates is based in Station Road, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1GE. Telephone 01629 813573. E-mail info@holdsworthchocolates.co.uk or visit the website www.holdsworthchocolates.co.uk


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Sponsorship deal anniversary for Make Hay and Nottingham Creative

Ethical website developer Make Hay is marking the first anniversary of a sponsorship deal with a voluntary organisation that promotes creative individuals and groups in Nottingham.

The company provides free green hosting for the Creative Nottingham website www.creativenottingham.com which celebrates and connects the city’s creative, arts and digital business communities.

The website was re-launched a year ago – and Make Hay has supported the project since by sponsoring the site using its wind-powered website hosting service www.green-hosting.co.uk.

“As a creative business ourselves, we are very pleased to support the Creative Nottingham website, which is a great way of promoting Nottingham as a creative place and a very useful resource for those working in creative industries in the city,” said Victoria Stevens, who jointly runs Nottingham-based Make Hay with Jez Swinscoe. “The green hosting that we provide is an environmentally friendly way to help improve an organisation’s ethical credentials.”

Sue Barsby, from Creative Nottingham, said: “As a voluntary organisation, we are grateful for the support of Make Hay which has helped us to showcase Creative Nottingham to the world, and also take advantage of green and ethical wind-powered web hosting, which fits well with our ethics.”

Make Hay, which specialises in green and ethical website design, was founded in 2004. Its green web hosting arm, which is wind powered, was launched in 2006. The company works with a range of businesses and organisations, including many in the voluntary and charity sector.

Clients include Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, the Uganda Carbon Bureau, Climate East Midlands, Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve and London Insight Meditation.

Visit www.makehay.co.uk for information.

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Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network) serves up the ingredients to inspire firms to innovate

Businesses linked to the food and drink sector in the East Midlands were given food for thought at an event aimed at inspiring innovation.

Delegates from Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire attended the iThrive event organised by the Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network), which stimulates innovation in the sector.

Held at the National Space Centre, Leicester, the event featured a presentation by strategic advisor and business book author Max McKeown, who focused on how to create an innovation culture within companies.

Among those in the audience were representatives from large firms such as Pepsico and Samworth Brothers Ltd, small and medium-sized enterprises, universities and supply chain companies.

“We had some excellent feedback from the event, with delegates saying they had been really inspired to return to their organisations and generate ideas for innovation,” said Richard Worrall, Food and Drink iNet director.

“Max McKeown is a strategic advisor for some of the most admired companies in the world, and it was an excellent opportunity to hear his ideas, which provided much food for thought to the delegates who attended the iThrive event.”

Caroline Evans, from Nottinghamshire gourmet food firm The Country Victualler, said: “I absolutely thoroughly enjoyed the event. It was inspiring and thought provoking.”

The Food and Drink iNet, which is funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is one of four regional iNets developed to link academic and private sector expertise and knowledge with local food and drink business innovation needs.

It aims to build on the tradition of innovation in the food and drink industry in the region by helping to create opportunities to develop knowledge and skills, and to help research, develop and implement new products, markets, services and processes. It is managed by a consortium, led by the Food and Drink Forum and including Food Processing Faraday, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Nottingham. For more information visit www.eminnovation.org.uk/food


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Olive snack OLOVES enter the US vending market

Award-winning healthy olive snacks OLOVES have been snapped up by four vending distributor companies in the US.

The on-the-go snacking alternative to crisps and nuts are now available through Vistar, Burdette Beckmann, AVB Sales & Marketing and Berkshire Natural Healthy Vending.

Suitable for vegans and vegetarians, kosher approved, and with an 18-month shelf life, OLOVES have proved popular in travel catering and are stocked on several airlines including Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, and Thomas Cook. They have won four awards – including the equivalent of an Oscar after picking up a Mercury Award from the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA).

Each 30g liquid-free, foil-fresh pack contains 12-14 naturally tasty pitted olives. OLOVES are available in two flavours initially to the US vending market - Tasty Mediterranean and Light Hearted Vinaigrette. Two new flavours - Lemony Lover and Hot Chilli Mama – will be available in the future.

Two years ago OLOVES were given a shapely new look with a more compact sachet, which saves on space and reduces packaging.

Joint brand founder Matt Hunt said: “The US vending sector is keen to provide healthy snack alternatives, and OLOVES are the ideal products with around 50 calories per pack. OLOVES have proved popular on transatlantic flights and we’re very pleased that they are now going into the vending market in the US.”

Vistar is the largest vending operator in the US, with national coverage. Berkshire Natural specialises in healthy vending. Burdette Beckmann operates in the Southern States and East Coast. AVB Sales & Marketing is based in Ohio.

The recommended retail price of a pack of OLOVES in a vending machine is $1.50.

For more information visit www.oloves.com

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Anila's Authentic Sauces secures new distributors for its curry sauces and accompaniments

Award-winning premium curry sauces and accompaniments producer Anila’s Authentic Sauces has secured a new distributor in the shape of Queenswood Natural Foods.

It comes just a few weeks after Anila’s also began distributing its products through Cotswold-based wholesaler The Gorgeous Food Company, which specialises in gourmet and speciality products.

Queenswood Natural Foods, based in Somerset, operates throughout the South, South East, and South West of England, as well as the Midlands and South Wales, delivering to the natural, organic and fine food trade.

Both companies are taking the majority of Anila’s range, which includes eight curry sauces and 16 chutneys, pickles and dips.

“I am very pleased that Queenswood Natural Foods and The Gorgeous Food Company are now distributing our products, which hopefully will make it easier for independent shops, fine food outlets, garden centres and health food stores to take them on their shelves,” said Anila Vaghela, who founded Anila’s Authentic Sauces in 1997.

“Our sauces are premium products that contain only natural ingredients, and are free from dairy, gluten, added sugar, onion and garlic. They are also suitable for vegans and vegetarians, so they are perfect for a wide range of customers, and for the outlets that both distributors supply to.”

Anila’s products have recently unveiled new labels to reflect the distinct characteristics of the range and to promote the concentrated nature of the superb Indian curry sauces – adding water doubles the quantity of curry sauce. Behind the labels are guides to making the perfect authentic meal using the ingredients of choice, along with serving suggestions and contact details for even more great recipe ideas.

The curry sauces, chutneys, pickles and dips are also being packaged in chic new jars.

Anila’s has won 11 Great Taste Awards from the Guild of Fine Food for its products. Its Goan Green Curry Sauce was named Best Vegan Product in The Veggie Awards 2011 by Cook Vegetarian! magazine, with the judges saying: “Not only one of the best vegan curry sauces we’ve ever tried but one of the best curry sauces available. Its complexity of flavours makes its taste truly sensational.”

In 2009 Anila’s Spicy Korma Curry Sauce scooped a “Free From” Food Award.

Anila’s Authentic Sauces is based in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, with a unit in Hounslow, and is run by Anila and her husband Dan.

Anila’s products are sold at John Lewis Oxford Street and John Lewis Bluewater, and top quality gourmet stores, such as Harrods, Wholefoods and Planet Organic, plus hundreds of other outlets that include health food stores, garden centres and gift shops, as well as smaller independent stores such as Budgens at Ascot, Shepperton and Crouch End. Anila’s also sells direct to the public at around 20 farmers’ markets across Surrey, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire, including Guildford, Walton, Windsor, Maidenhead, Ascot, Ripley, Reading, Beaconsfield and Farnham, and online via www.anilassauces.com

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Sherwood Truck & Van supports Nottinghamshire football team

Commercial vehicle group Sherwood Truck & Van has helped a girls’ football team get off to a flying start by supporting them with pre-season warm-up matches against QPR and West Ham Ladies academy teams.

Sherwood sponsored 13-year-old Elizabeth Townley to the tune of £125 in a fun run which raised money to pay for transport for Underwood Villa U14 Girls to attend the games.

Elizabeth, who is central defender for the team and who attends the National School in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, is the daughter of Greg Townley, facilities manager for Sherwood and parent company Guest Truck and Van.

Underwood Villa U14 Girls had been asked to play the London teams after a notching up a superb 2010/2011 season.

They were Nottingham Girls and Ladies division one champions,League Cup, Nottingham FA Shield winners, and National Final runners up, being beaten by Blackpool Ladies Academy. In all the Nottinghamshire competitions the team only conceded ten goals in total.

They were also the first girls to win League, Cup and Shield in a season.

“Underwood Villa U14 Girls were pleased as punch to be asked to play QPR and West Ham Ladies academy teams pre-season,” said Greg Townley.“They were very grateful for the sponsorship that Sherwood Truck & Van provided, which allowed them to travel to London to play against these well-regarded ladies teams. It was great experience for the team.”

Sherwood Truck and Van, with its headquarters in South Normanton, Derbyshire, is part of West Bromwich-based Ian Guest Holdings, one of the UK’s largest independently owned commercial vehicle dealers.

The group covers an area that includes the West Midlands, North Wales, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, South Yorkshire and East Anglia.

Sherwood is a leading supplier of new and used commercial vehicles, established in 1978. As well as its headquarters in South Normanton, it has branches in Highfield Lane, Sheffield,Lenton, Nottingham, and in Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent. The company also maintains, services and repairs commercial vehicles across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and most of Cheshire.

For further information visit www.sherwoodtruckandvan.com or www.guests.co.uk

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Food service distributor Holdsworth nets contract with brewery group McMullen & Sons Ltd

Food service distributor Holdsworth has secured a deal to supply the retail estate of 84 pubs and bars in the McMullen brewery group.

The three-year contract is worth approximately £3.5 million a year to the company, which delivers a wide range of frozen, chilled and ambient goods to caterers.

The independent Hertfordshire-based brewer and pub operator operates in the south of England, from central London to Chelmsford in the east, to Fleet in the west and to Milton Keynes in the north.

“We are very pleased to have won the contract to supply to McMullen,” said Holdsworth Chairman Michael Holdsworth. “Over the past 42 years we have grown to become a respected food service distributor in the UK as a result of our commitment to offering customers a competitive package with the best quality, value for money products and excellent service.

“We are delighted to forge a partnership with McMullen, which is a company that shares our values.”

Paul Robbins, Food Development Manager at McMullen, said: “Holdsworth supports our vision whole heartedly. The team is committed and experienced, and we are very pleased to be working with them over the next three years.”

Holdsworth, founded in 1969 by current Chairman Michael Holdsworth, employs 269 members of staff across seven depots in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Northamptonshire, Worcestershire and Powys.

The privately-owned company, which is based in Tideswell, Derbyshire, stocks around 5,000 lines, and runs a fleet of 62 multi-temperature lorries and 12 vans which are routed electronically to ensure maximum cost efficiency by reducing unnecessary mileage and fuel consumption.

Three members of the Holdsworth family work for the business, which has grown both organically and through acquisition to reach an annual turnover of approximately £49 million for the last financial year - a 7.4% increase on the previous year.

Holdsworth’s total market share of the £5.5 billion* UK delivered wholesale market is 0.9%. (*Figure provided by Horizons FS Limited)

“We endeavour to develop long-term working partnerships with both suppliers and customers and are proud to have earned our reputation within the industry,” said Michael Holdsworth. “When we redesigned our corporate logo we added the line ‘Your Partner in Restauration’ which encompasses our willingness to work in partnership with both customers and suppliers, and recognises the importance of each other’s role in the supply chain.”

In recent years, Holdsworth has completed an investment of more than £1 million on a new freezer and dry goods store at its Evesham depot and taken delivery of 26 new multi-temperature lorries, with another 14 lorries and two new vans ordered for 2011. A further £1 million was invested in a new 15,000 sq ft unit in Derbyshire to cater for the company’s growing range of chilled and ambient goods.

Last year the firm acquired four new businesses in Derbyshire, Yorkshire and Staffordshire, including specialist catering butchers, which has greatly increased the range and diversity of products that Holdsworth offers. The company hopes that these new additions will increase supply to existing customers and also to new markets.

Further information about the company can found at www.holdsworth-foods.co.uk

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Last few days to enter Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards 2011

Firms, researchers and individuals in the East Midlands have just a few days left to enter this year’s Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network) Innovation Awards.

Entries for the awards, which celebrate new products, new ways of working and new developments in the region’s food and drink sector, close on September 30th 2011.

Winners will be announced at an awards dinner at Nottingham Conference Centre, Burton Street, Nottingham, on November 17th where food critic Jay Rayner will be the guest speaker.

“The Innovation Awards are being held for the fourth year and have become a popular event on the calendar of the food and drink sector in the East Midlands,” said Food and Drink iNet director Richard Worrall.

“We’ve had some really interesting entries in past years, and I’m looking forward to seeing details of the latest developments and innovations when we start the judging process. I would urge any firm, research team or individual who has been involved in some kind of innovation in the industry in the region to consider entering the awards – it’s free to do so and it could lead to some great exposure.”

Entries are being invited from across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland.

Previous winners have included the development of a new material for food and drink packaging that featured non-leaching and antimicrobial properties, the invention of modified salt crystals to create a more intense flavour from less salt and thus allow a reduction in salt used in manufacturing, and the development of a sweet-tasting broccoli.

The Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards have three categories open to firms, organisations and individuals working across the food and drink sector. They are - Most Innovative Food and Drink Business, Most Innovative Business Supplying into the Food and Drink Sector and Most Innovative Research Project.

The Campden BRI Innovation Champion 2011 will be chosen from the winner of the three categories.

Entries need to be submitted by September 30th. Forms are available to download from the iNet section of the Food and Drink Forum website www.foodanddrinkforum.co.uk.

Tickets to the awards ceremony cost £65 plus vat each or £650 plus vat for a table of ten, and are available by calling 0115 9758810.

Funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Food and Drink iNet co-ordinates innovation support for businesses, universities and individuals working in the food and drink sector in the East Midlands. One of four iNets, it has developed an effective network to encourage the collaboration of academic expertise and knowledge, and local food and drink business innovation needs.

It aims to build on the tradition of innovation in the food and drink industry in the region by helping to create opportunities to develop knowledge and skills, and to help research, develop and implement new products, markets, services and processes.

The Food and Drink iNet is managed by a consortium, led by The Food and Drink Forum and including Food Processing Faraday, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Nottingham. It is based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, with advisors covering the East Midlands region.

For more information visit www.eminnovation.org.uk/food


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Olive snack OLOVES launch in Asda

Award-winning olive snack OLOVES is launching in Asda later this month in its first deal with one of the UK large multiples since the brand introduced new-shaped packaging.

The Tasty Mediterranean flavour of the healthy, on-the-go snack will be stocked on hang strips in around 330 stores across the UK.
It follows the launch of OLOVES earlier this year in 291 Holland & Barrett and 98 Julian Graves stores.

Suitable for vegans and vegetarians, kosher approved, and with an 18-month shelf life, OLOVES have proved popular in travel catering and are stocked on several airlines including Virgin Atlantic, United Airlines and Thomas Cook. They have won four awards – including the equivalent of an Oscar after picking up a Mercury Award from the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA).

Now available in four flavours - Lemony Lover, Hot Chilli Mama, Tasty Mediterranean and Light Hearted Vinaigrette – each 30g liquid-free, foil-fresh pack contains 12-14 naturally tasty pitted olives.

The snacks, which are a healthy alternative to crisps and nuts, come in shelf-ready boxes of 10 and bulk boxes of 300, with the option of pre-loaded hanging strips in all four flavours, which are ideal for attracting impulse buys.

Two years ago OLOVES were given a shapely new look with a more compact sachet, which saves on space and reduces packaging.

“The new shape has been very well received in travel catering and we have now moved into the retail sector, and are delighted to have secured the contract with Asda for OLOVES,” said joint brand founder Matt Hunt.

OLOVES will be on sale at 0.79p per pack in Asda from September 23rd.

For more information visit www.oloves.com

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Allestree couple launch new venture with support from Croots Farm Shop, Derbyshire

Derbyshire farm shop Croots is supporting the launch of a new local food business by becoming the first outlet to stock products from the Coriander Garden.

Allestree couple Kuldip and Kash Burhm have been making their Authentic Tamarind Chutney for friends for many years.

Now they have decided to launch the product, under the brand name the Coriander Garden…a taste of Indian home cooking, onto a wider market - with encouragement from Steve Croot, who runs Croots Farm Shop, near Duffield.

The shop at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, has just become the first outlet to take the Coriander Garden Authentic Tamarind Chutney onto its shelves.

“We have been making the chutney for years, and it was friends who said we should sell it,” said Kuldip. “Steve was very keen from day one. We gave him a taster and he was amazed at the flavour and quality of the product.”

The couple have excellent credentials when it comes to food – in 2005 they beat chef Gino D’Acampo with their curry-making skills in an episode of the TV programme Chef v Britain filmed at Chatsworth.

“Because Steve has given us encouragement we have a special relationship with him. He wants to help us and we want to help him,” said Kuldip. “We’re very excited that our chutney is now in Croots Farm Shop.”

By day Kuldip works at Datapath Ltd, Derby, and Kash at Reckitt Benckiser, Derby.

The couple have also developed an onion bhaji dry mix which is also being sold at Croots.

Steve Croot said: “We were very impressed when we tasted the Authentic Tamarind Chutney that Kul and Kash produce. They’ve worked hard to gain all the compliances necessary to sell food products, and we’re delighted that Croots has become the first shop to have their chutney on its shelves. Our customers love authentic, quality products.”

Croots stocks items from around 40 regional producers, as well as products from further afield.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

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Luke Evans Bakery celebrates National Craft Bakers’ Week 2011 (September 19-24) with competitions, demonstrations, tastings and offers

Derbyshire’s Luke Evans Bakery, one of the oldest family-run bakeries in the Midlands, is celebrating National Craft Bakers’ Week 2011 from September 19th to 24th with a string of competitions, demonstrations, tastings and offers.

The bakery, which was founded in 1804 and now employs the eighth generation of the family, will be joining hundreds of other bakers across the UK to mark the event, which promotes the specialist traditional skills that have been practised by craft bakers for generations.

Luke Evans Bakery, based at Riddings near Alfreton, has lined up a series of community events including:

• The chance for a local good cause to win £207 – one pound for every year that Luke Evans has been in business.
• The chance for five local companies to each win a dozen cream cakes for elevenses.
• The opportunity to submit a recipe for a new product and win £50 in a competition.
• A cake decorating demonstration at the bakery on Tuesday September 20th.
• A tasting day at the bakery on Wednesday September 21st as part of the national Big Taste.

“National Craft Bakers’ Week is the chance for craft bakers like Luke Evans Bakery to really showcase the skills of our bakers and the quality of the bread, cakes and other products that they make every day,” said Luke Evans Bakery managing director David Yates.

“We’ve been supplying bread and cakes to the people of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire for more than 200 years, which is an amazing achievement and one that we are very proud of. We’re really looking forward to getting as many people as possible across the community involved in National Craft Bakers’ Week and hope that our programme of events features something for everyone.”

National Craft Bakers’ Week, which is run by the National Association of Master Bakers, is being spearheaded nationally by double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes.

In Derbyshire Luke Evans is throwing open the doors of its bakery at Green Hill Lane, Riddings, on Tuesday 20th September between 9am and 1pm for free cake decorating demonstrations, with a 20% discount on any celebration cake orders for those who attend.

On Wednesday September 21st, visitors are being invited to take part in the national Big Taste event going on all over the country by popping into Luke Evans for a tasting event between 9.30am and 4.30pm.

The bakery is also looking for the most deserving good cause within two miles of its premises to receive a £207 donation from the firm to mark National Craft Bakers’ Week, and is inviting applications from charities and other organisations.

It’s also running a recipe competition, with the winning entry being put into full production at the bakery and named after the person who put forward the idea. First prize is a £50 voucher to spend on Luke Evans bread and cakes.

Finally, five deserving firms within 5 miles of the bakery will receive a dozen free cream cakes for elevenses on Friday 23rd September. For competition details and daily offers on products in the shop during National Craft Bakers’ Week visit www.lukeevans.co.uk

David’s daughter Sarah became the eighth generation of the family to join Luke Evans Bakery when she started work at the bakery last year, and it is believed the bakery is one of the oldest still run by the same family.

Luke Evans Bakery sells direct to the public from its shop in Green Hill Lane, Riddings, and supplies around 300 trade customers, including shops, schools, delis and Pride Park – the home of Derby County Football Club.
Fully trained craft bakers operate 24 hours a day turning out breads, cakes and savoury products.

Luke Evans Bakery can also make cakes for every occasion… from weddings and birthdays to special anniversaries and retirements.

For more information contact the bakery on 01773 602764 or visit www.lukeevans.co.uk

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Legacy continues following the re-launch of Shanti Yoga School and the Full Movement Training School

Two businesses run by Nottingham therapist and yoga teacher Andy Thomas have been re-launched following his death earlier this year.

Colleagues, associates and family have joined forces to ensure that the unique therapy devised by Andy to treat muscle and joint pains, immobility and malfunction will continue.

The Full Movement Training School, based at the premises of the PDW Group in Colwick, Nottingham, provides teaching in the Full Movement Method – the unique therapy devised by Andy, who had treated hundreds of patients over many years, including sportsmen and women, actors and road accident victims.

For many years, Andy trained therapists locally, nationally and abroad to practise FMM, and students have gone on to open FMM clinics in Bournemouth, Sheffield and elsewhere.

He also ran Shanti Yoga School, which has trained dozens of yoga teachers in Hatha Yoga. The core postures in yoga are at the heart of initial diagnosis for FMM: Andy saw the flexibility that yoga postures bring as a fundamental key to relieving pain via FMM.

The school has recently gained accreditation from Yoga Alliance UK, which sets standards for yoga, yoga teacher training, yoga teachers, and yoga training providers, and is re-opening in a new home at the eco-centre at Shackerdale Farm, Car Colston, near Bingham.

Andy’s wife Liz Thomas, from West Bridgford, remains a director of both businesses. Andy’s eldest son, Jim Thomas, has been appointed a director of the Full Movement Training School. Jim’s wife Elan Thomas has been appointed a director of Shanti Yoga School.

Liz Thomas said: “Andy was an inspirational teacher, both of yoga teachers and of his unique therapy FMM, as well as a dedicated practitioner who treated hundreds of people in Nottingham, the East Midlands and beyond.

“We are very pleased that his legacy will live on and that those he taught will continue to treat patients and teach yoga, as well as teach others how to practise the unique therapy and yoga that Andy devised.”

Andy, 65, from Melton Road, West Bridgford, died in March 2011 after suffering from lung cancer.

For more information visit www.shantiyogaschool.co.uk and www.fullmovementmethod.co.uk


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Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network) serves up support to East Midlands ice cream makers

Ice cream makers in the East Midlands are being given a cool opportunity to find ways of boosting their bottom line and increasing profits.

The Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network) is running a project to show ice cream manufacturers how they can reformulate their products using local, more cost-effective ingredients.

Instead of using ready-mixed ingredients, which are often imported from places like Italy, the manufacturers are testing to see if they can make ice cream that’s just as good, if not better, by reformulating their products with more locally sourced ingredients.

This could save thousands of pounds every year on the cost of raw materials, said Food and Drink iNet director Richard Worrall.

Now the team is looking for more ice cream manufacturers from across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland to take part in the project.

“Small, relatively new, ice cream producers usually start their business using several branded ready-mixed ingredients in order to enter the market place quickly and easily,” said Richard Worrall. “These products are of good quality but some, for example, are currently manufactured in Italy, imported and sold via wholesalers. The cost of these ingredients is significant and influenced by exchange rates.

“Several ice cream producers have requested support in finding alternatives that, ideally, are available locally, are cheaper and enable production of similar or better quality ice cream. We are very pleased to be able to launch a project which will help this sector of the food industry in the East Midlands to become more profitable and more sustainable.”

Food experts at Nottingham Trent University’s School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences have been hired to show the manufacturers how they could reformulate their quality ice cream products using basic raw materials instead of buying ready-mixed ingredients.

They are working with ingredients specialists regionally and nationally on the project.

Mike Dixon, senior lecturer in Food Science at Nottingham Trent University, said: “We are already in contact with a number of small and medium-sized ice cream manufacturers in the region – illustrating alternative ingredient options, how to use them without compromising on quality and how to find these ingredients – but we would be very pleased to hear from any others who are interested in finding out how they could potentially create cost savings for their businesses.”

The Food and Drink iNet, which is funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), aims to encourage innovation in the region’s food and drink sector through new ways of working, new product development and the introduction of new processes.

With advisors working across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, it links academic and private sector expertise and knowledge with local food and drink business innovation needs.

The ice cream project is one of its Collaborate to Innovate initiatives which seeks to develop and deliver projects to enable groups of small and medium-sized enterprise businesses in the food and drink supply chain in the East Midlands to work collaboratively amongst themselves and with other key partners to overcome common problems by introducing innovation into their companies and improving their economic and competitive performance.

The Food and Drink iNet is managed by a consortium, led by the Food and Drink Forum and including Food Processing Faraday, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Nottingham. For more information visit www.eminnovation.org.uk/food or contact the iNet via info@foodanddrink-inet.org.uk

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Croots Farm Shop hands over donation to Derbyshire children's charity Treats

A £1,200 cheque has been handed over to Derbyshire children’s charity Treats after a sponsored walk by staff at Croots Farm Shop, near Duffield.

The staff clocked up 66 miles by walking up and down the farm shop’s driveway to mark the third birthday of Croots.

Now the proceeds have been collected and handed over to Treats, which will use the money to help underprivileged children with support for gifts, holidays and trips away.

“We are very grateful for the support of Croots Farm Shop, its staff and its customers who have donated to Treats,” said Elaine Blount chairman of Treats.

Croots, based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, has chosen Treats as its adopted charity for the past two years. It also supports the Shire Horse Society.

“We are happy to help a local charity like Treats, which has been doing good work in Derbyshire for 25 years now,” said Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop. “We wanted to mark our third birthday by giving something to our local community, and we are very grateful for the support received from our loyal customers.”

Since being launched by a group of professional Derbyshire businesswomen more than 25 years ago, Treats has raised more than £500,000 to help local underprivileged youngsters, with some cash also going to community projects.

Pictured left to right, Vicky Ashton, Elaine Blount, Candy Sutton, from Treats children’s charity, and Steve Croot, from Croots Farm Shop.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

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Eighth generation baker promotes wedding cakes from Luke Evans Bakery, Derbyshire, to brides and grooms of the future

For generations, Luke Evans Bakery in Derbyshire has been supplying centre-piece wedding cakes to happy couples throughout the county.

Now, eighth generation baker Sarah Yates has taken on the role of promoting and selling wedding cakes to the newly-weds of the future.

She’s been appointed wedding cake advisor at the company, which is based in Riddings near Alfreton, and was founded in 1804.

As part of her role, Sarah will be attending a host of wedding fayres in September and October.

The bakery has been making wedding cakes for newly-weds for generations and has a delicious range that includes everything from traditional to modern celebration cakes.

Elegant or extravagant, customised or conventional ….Luke Evans’ highly specialist cake decorators can make dreams come true and provide a truly memorable wedding-day centrepiece.

The company will be showcasing its range and its bespoke offering at the following wedding fayres:

Sunday September 11th between 11am and 4pm - Alfreton Leisure Centre

Sunday September 18th between 11am and 4pm - The Derbyshire Hotel, at South Normanton, near junction 28 of the M1

Sunday September 25th between 11am and 4pm – Derby Conference Centre, London Road, Derby

Sunday October 2nd between 11am and 4pm - Mickleover Court, Mickleover, Derby

Sunday October 9th between 11am and 4pm - Kedleston Hall, Derby

Saturday October 15th between 11am and 3.30pm - Horsely Lodge, Horsely

Sunday October 23rd between 11am and 4pm - Derby Assembly Rooms

Sunday October 30th between 11am and 4pm - Horsely Lodge Open Day at Horsely

“No two weddings are the same, so no two wedding cakes will be the same, and we just love working in partnership with couples to create a cake that they’ll be proud of,” said Sarah Yates, the eighth generation of the Luke Evans family to work in the business.

“We’ve supplied wedding cakes to generations of newly-weds in Derbyshire and we are looking forward to meeting the brides and grooms of the future to talk them through the various options when it comes to wedding cakes.”

Luke Evans Bakery sells direct to the public from its shop in Green Hill Lane and supplies around 300 trade customers, including shops, schools, delis and Pride Park – the home of Derby County Football Club.

Fully trained craft bakers operate 24 hours a day turning out breads, cakes and savoury products.

Luke Evans Bakery can also make stunning cakes for every occasion… from weddings and birthdays to special anniversaries and retirements.

For more information contact the bakery on 01773 602764 or visit www.lukeevans.co.uk

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Tickets go on sale for Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards 2011

Tickets have now gone on sale for the Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network) Innovation Awards ceremony.

Guest speaker for the event, held at Nottingham Conference Centre, Burton Street, Nottingham, on November 17th will be food critic Jay Rayner.

The winners of the Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards 2011 will be announced at the ceremony, which has now become a regular date on the calendar of the food and drink sector in the East Midlands – attracting guests from across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland.

“The Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards ceremony is an excellent chance to keep up to date with the latest innovations in the sector and to network with others in the industry,” said Food and Drink iNet director Richard Worrall.

The Innovation Awards, which are being held for the fourth year, aim to reward some of the most exciting innovations in the East Midlands food and drink industry.

Previous winners have included the development of a new material for food and drink packaging that featured non-leaching and antimicrobial properties, the invention of modified salt crystals to create a more intense flavour from less salt and thus allow a reduction in salt used in manufacturing, and the development of a sweet-tasting broccoli.

They have gained a string of benefits after scooping an accolade in the annual awards including media exposure, raised profiles in the industry and the chance to network with those who work in the sector.

The Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards have three categories open to firms, organisations and individuals working across the food and drink sector. They are - Most Innovative Food and Drink Business, Most Innovative Business Supplying into the Food and Drink Sector and Most Innovative Research Project.

The Campden BRI Innovation Champion 2011 will be chosen from the winner of the three categories.

Entries need to be submitted by September 30th. Forms are available to download from the iNet section of the Food and Drink Forum website www.foodanddrinkforum.co.uk.

Tickets to the awards ceremony cost £65 plus vat each or £650 plus vat for a table of ten, and are available by calling 0115 9758810.

Funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Food and Drink iNet co-ordinates innovation support for businesses, universities and individuals working in the food and drink sector in the East Midlands. One of four iNets, it has developed an effective network to encourage the collaboration of academic expertise and knowledge, and local food and drink business innovation needs.

It aims to build on the tradition of innovation in the food and drink industry in the region by helping to create opportunities to develop knowledge and skills, and to help research, develop and implement new products, markets, services and processes.

The Food and Drink iNet is managed by a consortium, led by The Food and Drink Forum and including Food Processing Faraday, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Nottingham. It is based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, with advisors covering the East Midlands region.

For more information visit www.eminnovation.org.uk/food

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Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network) serves up support for East Midlands chocolate makers

Chocolate producers in the East Midlands could soon have a new piece of equipment to help them save time and money, thanks to support from the Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network).

Each morning, small chocolatiers have to wait around an hour for the chocolate to reach the right conditions before they can start work.

Now the Food and Drink iNet has brought together engineers and academics to create a cost-effective solution to the problem, and is calling on small chocolate companies in the East Midlands to come forward if they’d like to be involved in the project.

“Small chocolatiers, working with relatively small chocolate tempering equipment, find that they spend at least the first hour of each day waiting for that day’s chocolate to reach the correct conditions for working,” said Food and Drink iNet director Richard Worrall. “This is related to melting and subsequently carefully cooling the chocolate to keep it in perfect condition. For all staff involved, this represents wasted production time of at least one hour each per day. Multiplied up per week and then per year means that a significant amount of time is wasted.

“Several companies have requested support in developing equipment, ideally from a local source, that will enable them to carry out the chocolate tempering process in such a way that the chocolate is ready for production when they start work in the morning.”

The Food and Drink iNet is working with food scientists in the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences at Nottingham Trent University and engineers at MCE Engineering Ltd in Derby on a Collaborate to Innovate initiative to develop a bolt-on piece of equipment that chocolatiers could use.

Mike Dixon, senior lecturer in food science at Nottingham Trent University, said: “MCE Engineering Ltd has designed some equipment and created a prototype, which has been successfully trialled at one of the chocolatiers involved in the project. We’re hoping that this can be added to existing chocolate tempering equipment and then lead to increased productivity, profitability, sustainability and planned growth of these companies.”

Any small or medium-sized chocolate companies in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland who are interested in taking part in the project should contact the Food and Drink iNet via info@foodanddrink-inet.org.uk

The Collaborate to Innovate initiatives seek to develop and deliver projects to enable groups of small and medium-sized enterprise businesses in the East Midlands food and drink supply chain to work collaboratively amongst themselves and with other key partners to overcome common problems by introducing innovation into their companies and improving their economic and competitive performance.

The Food and Drink iNet, which is funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), aims to encourage innovation in the region’s food and drink sector through new ways of working, new product development and the introduction of new processes.

With advisors working across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, it links academic and private sector expertise and knowledge with local food and drink business innovation needs.

The Food and Drink iNet is managed by a consortium, led by the Food and Drink Forum and including Food Processing Faraday, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Nottingham. For more information visit www.eminnovation.org.uk/food or contact the iNet via info@foodanddrink-inet.org.uk


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Free exporting event for East Midlands food and drink firms

East Midlands food and drink manufacturers are being invited to discover how they can gain a slice of the export market by tapping into overseas opportunities.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is staging a free event that will turn the spotlight on the best ways to harness export orders.

Export is currently top of the government’s growth agenda, and according to UKTI, academic research confirms that exporting companies are more productive than non exporters, achieve stronger financial performance, and are more likely to stay in business.

The event takes place at Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire, on Tuesday September 27th from 9am to 1.30pm.

It will focus on a range of issues such as how to enter new export markets, including where current opportunities lie, the options for getting products into the market, paperwork and labelling implications, and how to ensure payment from customers.

Aimed at small and medium-sized food and drink manufacturers from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, the session will also feature workshops, a case study presentation and networking opportunities.

“This is the perfect event for East Midlands food and drink manufacturers who are thinking of exporting or who have just started to tap into overseas markets,” said Bob O’Meara, international trade adviser for UKTI.

“It will provide a good insight into how to enter new export markets, including which countries are currently growth areas. There is a good deal of help and support available for firms that are keen to export, and attending this event could be the first step towards opening new doors and creating new opportunities for expansion.

“I would urge any small or medium-sized food or drink manufacturer in the region that’s thinking of exporting to attend.”

For information or to book, call 0115 9758810 or email jo.taylor@foodanddrinkforum.co.uk

UKTI is the government department that works with UK-based companies to ensure their success in international markets, and encourages the best overseas companies to look to the UK as their global partner of choice.


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Green Toilet Company opts for Sherwood Truck & Van vehicle

Commercial vehicle group Sherwood Truck & Van is helping to keep the Green Toilet Company on the move after supplying the firm with a new vehicle.

Based in Braithwell, South Yorkshire, the Green Toilet Company has been supplying portable toilet, washroom and shower facilities to sites and events throughout the country for many years.

As well as being delivered and collected from sites, all units need to be maintained in use, and for that, the Green Toilet Company has just taken delivery of an Iveco Daily 35C15 with a chassis-mounted pumper unit.

Supplied by Sherwood Truck & Van, Highfield Lane, Sheffield, this features a dual-purpose body built by Rapide Tankers of Full Sutton, York. Behind the cab is a twin- tank unit - one to carry 180 gallons of waste, the other to transport 100 gallons of fresh water. The former carries the waste pumped from a cubicle in use; the latter refills it with clean, fresh water for flushing, hand-washing or showering.

Over the rear axle is an aluminium bed, designed to carry two portable toilet cubicles.

“Daily’s the ideal vehicle for our needs,” said Green Toilet Company managing director Jim Proudley. “It’s tougher and harder-wearing than most vans in its class, yet it gives all the comfort and reliability a driver needs to ensure that we can deliver - and take away - what we’ve promised.

“And Sherwood are the ideal dealer too. We’ve dealt with them for several years now, and we find they’re dependable, reliable and straight-forward. Business doesn’t have to be complicated, and they go out of their way to support us when and where we need that support.”

Sherwood Truck & Van is part of West Bromwich-based Guest Trucks, one of the UK’s largest independently owned commercial vehicle dealers and the single largest Iveco distributor.

Helen Waterfall, regional director responsible for the four Sherwood locations at Sheffield, Nottingham, Etruria near Stoke, and at South Normanton, Derbyshire, said: “We are very pleased to have once again supplied the Green Toilet Company with a vehicle that is perfect for the firm’s needs.

“The company takes a proactive approach in ensuring that the facilities they provide are both clean and pleasant to use, and protective of the areas in which they’re sited, and we are delighted to be helping them to achieve this.”

Sherwood Truck & Van is a leading supplier of new and used commercial vehicles, established in 1978. The company also maintains, services and repairs commercial vehicles across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Staffordshire and most of Cheshire.

For further information visit www.sherwoodtruckandvan.com or www.guests.co.uk

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