Great Expectations for Focus Consultants

Focus Consultants has played a key role in the expansion and transformation of the Charles Dickens Museum which re-opened in London this month (Dec 10th) after a £3.1 million development.

Focus project managed the major restoration and refurbishment of the museum at the author’s only surviving London home.

The Great Expectations project at the building in Bloomsbury is the most significant legacy of Dickens’ bicentenary, and has led to a doubling in size of the museum, with neighbouring 49 Doughty Street opening to offer a new and accessible visitor experience.

It is the latest high-profile museum scheme undertaken by Focus Consultants, whose head office is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, with offices in Holborn in London, Leicester, Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire.

“The teams at Focus Consultants in London and Nottingham have been proud to be involved in such a prestigious and exciting project, which showcases one of Britain’s most well-known and admired authors,” said Focus Consultants partner Steven Fletcher.

“The Great Expectations project at the Charles Dickens Museum will secure the future of the building for generations to come and offers a brand new visitor experience for the 21st Century.”

The completion of the £3.1million Great Expectations project, funded substantially through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), is a fitting finale to a year of worldwide Dickens celebrations.

The museum – housed in Dickens’ home at the start of his career and the birthplace of classics Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby – re-opened its doors on December 10th 2012.

The Great Expectations project has been made possible with support from funders including HLF, English Heritage, the City Bridge Trust, City of London Corporation, the Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, the John S Cohen Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation and many other trusts, as well as hundreds of donations from individuals.

Dr Florian Schweizer, director of the Charles Dickens Museum, said: "This has been the most exciting year in the museum’s history and I am sure Dickens would have been delighted about this transformation of his former home for his 200th birthday. Our Great Expectations project will give our visitors an inspiring opportunity to experience literary history in beautifully refurbished period rooms and to find out about one of the world’s greatest storytellers. The restoration of the fragile buildings means that the museum will continue to serve visitors in the future while the new interpretation scheme brings to life the amazing story of Charles Dickens, from his traumatic childhood memories to his remarkable career.”

Experts at Focus Consultants have worked on a number of museum projects, including the £25 million Mshed in Bristol, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, which was named UK museum of the year in 2012 by the Art Fund charity, and SeaCity in Southampton, which opened earlier this year – a century after the Titanic set sail from the city.

Earlier this month the company announced it had been secured as project manager and cost consultant for a multi-million pound redevelopment at the National Army Museum in Chelsea.

Focus Consultants specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the UK. Since its creation in 1994, Focus has secured over £800 million of grant assistance, and delivered more than £1 billion of projects and programmes.

It works across a range of sectors including heritage, arts and culture, education and tourism.   For more information visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Festive greetings and Christmas opening hours from Perfect 10 PR

Perfect 10 PR would like to wish clients and associates a very happy Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.

The offices of Perfect 10 PR will be closing at lunchtime on Friday 21st December and re-opening on Wednesday 2nd January 2013.

It’s a cracker! Research proves how blue cheese gets its distinctive smell

As the nation prepares to tuck into mounds of Stilton this Christmas, researchers have pinpointed for the first time a particular yeast which enhances the smell of blue cheese.

A study undertaken by the University of Northampton and the University of Nottingham, and funded by the Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network), has discovered a particular ‘secondary microflora component’ is responsible for boosting the aroma of blue cheese.

The scientists have been looking at the role of the various microorganisms in the production of the East Midlands’ famous blue cheeses, like Stilton.

The mould Penicillium roqueforti is added by manufacturers to produce the ‘blue’ in cheeses but now the researchers can confirm that a yeast called Y. lipolytica directly influences the distinct smell of the popular dairy products.

They used a team of trained sensory experts to test different cheese models which contained varying yeast levels to work out which particular strain was responsible for the aroma.

“The panel was able to discriminate between samples with different yeast levels, suggesting that the variation in microbial flora was noticeable in the aroma. Limiting aroma variation is paramount to producing more consistent blue cheeses,” said researcher Dr Kostas Gkatzionis.

Last year a grant from the Food and Drink iNet, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and run by the Food and Drink Forum, helped to prove the fact that secondary microflora was a key influencer when it came to a cheese’s flavour.

These microflora are not added deliberately during cheese production - they are selected during the cheese making process from various sources including the cheese factory environment.

The iNet awarded a second grant so that the research team could develop a small scale cheese model in the lab which allowed the scientists to delve into the role of the secondary microflora in more detail.

And now they‘ve been able to prove that a particular yeast gives blue cheese its distinct aroma.

“Ultimately, we hope this work will lead to greater consistency during production for Britain’s cheese makers, which will help them achieve a greater slice of the worldwide blue cheese market, which is worth millions,” said Food and Drink iNet director Richard Worrall.

The research team, which was run by Dr Kostas Gkatzionis, a researcher in the School of Health at The University of Northampton, in conjunction with his colleague Prof Carol Phillips, and Prof Christine Dodd and Dr Robert Linforth from The University of Nottingham, Division of Food Sciences, along with two postgraduate research students, had a £53,871 grant from the iNet for the second stage of their research. They worked in conjunction with Stichelton Dairy in north Nottinghamshire on the project.

The research findings are being shared with cheese producers across the UK in the hope that it will help them to achieve greater consistency in production.

The model created in the lab will also be used to research other cheese-production issues.

“The development of the mini cheese model provides a tool for cheese producers to investigate other issues that concern the industry, such as the testing of new starter cultures, alternative rennets and the effect of modifications in the production procedure, for example reducing salt,” added Prof Christine Dodd at the University of Nottingham.

The Food and Drink iNet 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 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.foodanddrink-inet.org.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

National Army Museum contract for Focus Consultants

Nottingham-founded Focus Consultants has been appointed project manager for a prestigious multi-million redevelopment at the National Army Museum in Chelsea.

It is the latest museum contract won by the firm, which has also been appointed to the role of cost consultant on the project.

The Building for the Future renovation aims to radically transform the National Army Museum’s offer to provide visitors with an enhanced museum experience.

Partner at Focus Richard Aston said: “This is a prestigious and important development. The team at Focus Consultants is delighted to be involved in such an exciting and inspirational project.”

The National Army Museum (NAM), based in Chelsea, London, has received initial support for a £11.3m Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) bid, including £350,000 of development funding, for the Building for the Future project, which is aimed to be complete by 2016.

Focus Consultants, whose head office is based in Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and with offices in Holborn in London, Leicester, Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, has worked on many high-profile museum developments across the UK.

These include the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, which was named UK museum of the year in 2012 by the Art Fund charity, and SeaCity in Southampton, which opened earlier this year – a century after the Titanic set sail from the city – as well as the £25m Mshed in Bristol.

The firm was also project manager for the £5.4 million refurbishment of Tudor House Museum in Southampton, which picked up the conservation project award at the 2012 RICS South East region awards, and went on to be named as the overall project of the year for the region.

Other members of the NAM team include interdisciplinary designers BDP and exhibition designers Event Communications.

BDP and Event Communications will bring their expertise together to reconfigure the building to provide greater public access and facilities, improved learning spaces and create innovative and exciting new gallery spaces. The team will work alongside NAM’s internal team to update and reinterpret the story of the British Army and to present the museum’s collection.

Focus Consultants will be working with all partners to oversee and ensure the smooth running of the venture.

Janice Murray, director-general of the National Army Museum, said: “We are excited by this collaboration and I am confident that we will produce a world-class museum development, which will deliver a fresh, informative and exciting visitor experience for all.”

The National Army Museum opened on its current site in 1971 to house the national collections of the Land Forces of the Crown, and now receives more than 270,000 visitors a year.

The project provides NAM with the opportunity to upgrade the existing site to meet the needs of its growing audiences.

During the redevelopments the museum will deliver a diverse outreach programme of travelling exhibitions.

Focus Consultants specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the UK. Since its creation in 1994, Focus has secured over £800 million of grant assistance, and delivered more than £1 billion of projects and programmes.

It works across a range of sectors including heritage, arts and culture, education and tourism.

Visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

Press release issued Nottingham-based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

About the National Army Museum: The National Army Museum explores the impact of the British Army on the story of Britain,Europe and the world; how Britain's past has helped to shape our present and our future and how the actions of a few can affect the futures of many. The National Army Museum was established by Royal Charter to tell the story of the Land Forces of the Crown wherever they were raised. Opened by the Queen in 1960, it moved to its current site in Chelsea in 1971. www.nam.ac.uk

About the Heritage Lottery Fund: Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 33,000 projects with more than £5billion across the UK. www.hlf.org.uk

Christmas coffee morning in aid of Breast Cancer Research

Two Derbyshire women who are running the London Marathon next year in aid of Breast Cancer Research are staging a fund-raising Christmas coffee morning.

Helen Yates, operations director at Luke Evans Bakery in Riddings, near Alfreton, and midwife Deana Emerson are aiming to raise £5,000 before the 26-mile event on April 21st.

They plan to stage a number of fund-raising events to help them reach their target, with the first on Saturday 15th December from 10am to 2pm at South Wingfield Cricket Club near Alfreton.

The Christmas coffee morning will feature entertainment, refreshments and a special guest appearance from Father Christmas who will be in his grotto waiting to meet the children and give each of them a present.

Next year’s marathon will be the first undertaken by Helen, who’s 39, and the fourth by Deana, who is 41.

Both women, who live in Shirland, have had treatment for breast cancer and are setting out to collect as much as they can for Breast Cancer Research.

“We’re getting on well with our training and looking forward to the London Marathon next year,” said Helen. “Although I’ve run for a while, I’ve never attempted long distance before so it’s going to be quite a challenge to keep up with Deana.”

A mix of home made cakes from local friends, family and well wishers, and treats from Luke Evans Bakery along with coffee, tea and mulled will be available at the Christmas coffee morning.

If you would like to sponsor Helen and Deana, visit http://www.justgiving.com/HelenYates-DeanaEmerson

Press release issued by Nottingham-based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Recruitment starts for therapy course in the Full Movement Method

Sports therapists, dance teachers, homeopaths, acupuncturists, massage therapists and yoga teachers are being invited to discover how they could add a new bodywork qualification to their repertoire.

Nottingham-based therapy teaching centre The Full Movement Training School is now recruiting for a two-year part-time programme in the Full Movement Method.

The course, which is accredited by the Federation of Holistic Therapists, was developed in the East Midlands and focuses on the Full Movement Method - a unique method of resolving muscle and joint pain, immobility and malfunction.

It was developed by Andy Thomas, from West Bridgford, Nottingham, who treated hundreds of patients over many years, including sportsmen and women, actors and road accident victims.

Andy, who died in March 2011, trained therapists locally, nationally and abroad to practise FMM, and students have gone on to open FMM clinics in Bournemouth, Sheffield and elsewhere.

Andy also ran the Nottinghamshire-based 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, and Andy saw the flexibility that yoga postures bring as a fundamental key to relieving pain via FMM.

His wife Liz Thomas, who runs both schools, said: “The Full Movement Method course is ideal for therapists, dance teachers, homeopaths, acupuncturists and yoga teachers who are looking to increase their skills and offer additional services to their clients.

“We’re now accepting applications from students who are interested in joining our course, which starts in January 2013.”

The course will be taught at Colwick, Nottingham, roughly once a month at weekends over two years – making it ideal for those who currently have full or part-time jobs or other commitments during the week.

For more information visit www.fullmovementmethod.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

New night spot to open in Loughborough

Loughborough’s newest night spot is due to open next month with the launch of The Kelso.

The bar and club in Ward’s End (next to The Orange Tree) opens its doors to the public on Monday December 17th.

The 240-capacity venue features a ground-floor bar and dance floor, and a more intimate first-floor bar with cosy seating, along with a roof-top terrace garden at the rear.

Previously The Newshouse, the premises have been transformed by the Orange Tree Group to create a venue featuring quirky furniture and décor, and based on a style that’s reminiscent of the speakeasy bars of the American ‘20s.

Cocktails, as you would expect, will be a speciality at The Kelso, which will be open from 9pm until 2am between December 17th and 19th, 9pm to 3am on Thursday December 20th, 5pm to 4am on Friday December 21st, 9pm to 4am on Saturday December 22nd, 9pm to 2am on Sunday December 23rd and 5pm to 3am on Christmas Eve.

It will also be open after Christmas from Thursday 27th – with a New Year’s Eve party planned from 8pm to 4am.

Managing director of the Orange Tree Group Gareth Smith said: “We’ve worked hard to create a late night venue which we hope will bring something completely different to the social scene of Loughborough. Something that we believe is strongly missing.

“We have scoured the country for over a year to create an eclectic mix of modern and old materials to give an intimate, yet striking style to The Kelso, and we’re delighted to be offering something unique to the town.”

The Kelso is the second late-night venue opened by the Orange Tree Group, and follows the refurbishment and launch of The Basement in Leicester last year.

Gareth, who is involved with the Loughborough Retail Initiative in the Ward’s End area, hopes that The Kelso will be a welcome asset not just to the town but to the particular area of Loughborough too.

“We are aiming to appeal to a wide range of people who enjoy good music and want to indulge themselves in a brand new hedonistic experience for Loughborough,” he added.

“The name was chosen because it sounded right and it sounds abstract enough to allow people to overlay their own interpretation.”

As part of the refurbishment of the building, original features such as fireplaces, panelling and oak beams have been reinstated.

The Kelso plans to open five nights a week from 9pm in the New Year. Its music style will be vintage, to include soul, funk, indie, R and B, reggae, ska and other genres.

The venue is also available for private hire.

Since 1998, the Orange Tree Group has operated the The Orange Tree pub next door to The Kelso in Loughborough. It opened the venue a year after launching The Orange Tree in Leicester. This was followed by the O Bar in Leicester in 2001. The group’s Orange Tree in Nottingham opened in October 2003, followed by The Lansdowne in Leicester in December 2004.

The independent pub group was founded by Ben Hings and Gareth Smith in October 1997.

For more information about the Food and Drink iNet visit www.facebook.com/thekelsoloughborough

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Project of the Decade award for scheme that Focus Consultants had a role in

Focus Consultants is celebrating the news that a project the company was involved in has been named Project of the Decade at the ProCon Awards in Leicestershire.

Focus was project manager and contract administrator for the Leicester city centre theatre Curve which picked up the People’s Choice Award.

Designed by award-winning architect Rafael Vinoly, Curve was completed in 2008.

“It is great news to hear that Curve has been voted Project of the Decade, and everyone at Focus is pleased for the whole team involved in the scheme,” said partner at Focus Keith Butler.

The ProCon Awards were attended by around 600 guests from the property, construction and other business sectors. The People’s Choice Award was sponsored by local newspaper The Leicester Mercury and voted for by readers.

Focus Consultants, based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, with offices in Leicester, London, Boston and Aubourn near Lincoln, specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the UK.

Since its creation in 1994, Focus has secured over £800 million of grant assistance, and delivered more than £1 billion of projects and programmes.

It works across a range of sectors including heritage, arts and culture, education and tourism.

Leicester City Council was the client for the Curve project, with Leicester Theatre Trust the end user. Other members of the team were building services engineer Arup, structural engineer AKT and quantity surveyors Turner and Townsend.

For more information about Focus Consultants visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

The Food and Drink iNet helps local brewers find a route to Asian markets

The University of Nottingham is working with 20 micro-brewers across the East Midlands on a ‘Routes to Market’ project to help them develop bottled conditioned beers that can be sold to China and South East Asia.

Experts from the brewing science department of The University of Nottingham have combined with the Food and Drink iNet (Innovation Network) to help microbrewers in the region to develop stable, bottled conditioned beers that are suitable for export.

In 2004, China overtook the USA to become the world’s largest beer market. The competition is growing increasingly fierce amongst the main brewers, but there are niche markets for microbrewers.

The regulations regarding beer duty mean that if brewers are making under a certain volume of beer, the rate of duty decreases. This has resulted in an increase in a seven per cent per annum increase in the number of craft brewers in the UK, a significant proportion of whom are based in the Midlands.

However, with bottle conditioned beers, the final conditioning of the beer takes place in the bottle, which means that the quality can often vary considerably.

The team from the university is working with the micro-brewers to increase their control of the process to achieve more consistency in the fully conditioned beers which will lead to higher quality.

The project involves surveying all of the existing bottle conditioned beers produced by the micro-brewers and testing them for consistency, measuring qualities such as alcohol by volume, CO2, microbial stability and shelf life.

Different strains of wet and dry active yeasts are also being tested on the beers, to determine which offers the most consistent results. In addition, the team will examine all of the processes the brewers are using to make their beers to identify and share best practice.

The Lincoln Green Brewing Company, based in Hucknall, Notts, is one of the businesses taking part in the Routes to Market project.

Anthony Hughes, managing director of the company, said: “The Routes to Market initiative came at just the right time for us, as we had just started looking at bottling with a view to exporting in the future.

“As a result of the University’s support, we have been reseeding the beer with an additional yeast strain, to stabilise the beer. An expert from the University even came out to help us reseed the first batch of beer so that we could see how it should be done.”

Alongside the work being undertaken on the development of the bottled conditioned beers, the University’s Asia Business Centre will be providing a detailed analysis of the markets for premium beers in China, Hong Kong and the wider South East Asia region.

The university will also provide microbrewers with guidelines on the export process and routes to market for bottled conditioned beers.

Speaking about the Routes to Market programme, Dr Jerry Avis, who is managing the project, said: “The microbrewers we are working with are extremely enthusiastic about the Routes to Market programme. They recognise that we are able to help them improve the consistency of their products, reduce their costs and find new, innovative ways of offering their products to customers.”

Mike Carr, director of business engagement at The University of Nottingham, said: “With the technical expertise we have in the brewing sector and our unrivalled links and knowledge of China and South East Asia, we really can help to give microbrewers in the Midlands a massive competitive advantage when it comes to developing and marketing their products for consumers in the Far East.

“This is one example of the way in which we can help small and medium sized businesses in the East Midlands, and we would be very interested to hear from businesses in other sectors who feel that they can benefit from working with experts at the University top develop their products and find new markets.”

Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Food and Drink iNet provided a grant of £19,750 for the Routes to Market project.

Based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, the iNet co-ordinates innovation support for businesses, universities and individuals working in the food and drink sector in the East Midlands with advisors working across the East Midlands region. It is managed by a consortium, led by The Food and Drink Forum and including Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and The University of Nottingham.

Food and Drink iNet director Richard Worrall said: “The East Midlands has a successful and developing craft brewing sector, and the Food and Drink iNet is keen to support brewers on planning their commercial journey to opening up new markets, which includes strategic planning as well as the technical/scientific issues.

"There is a growing appetite for prestige ales in areas like China and South East Asia, and we hope this project that we are funding will help East Midlands brewers to compete more effectively in this highly competitive market by not only tackling the product and packaging issues, but also considering market understanding and distribution with the support of UKTI.”

For more information about the Food and Drink iNet visit www.foodanddrink-inet.org.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk in collaboration with the University of Nottingham

Photo caption clockwise from top, Jerry Avis, the University of Nottingham, Pat Brearly, Tollgate Brewery (Derbyshire), Alastair Chapman, Langton Brewery (Leicestershire), Paul (Nobby) Mulliner, Nobby’s Brewery (Northamptonshire), Steve Doane, Sail Brewery (Lincolnshire), Anthony Hughes, Lincoln Green Brewery (Nottinghamshire) and Jo Murphy, Food & Drink iNet.

Food and Drink Forum welcomes latest news on Southglade Food Park expansion

Trade organisation The Food and Drink Forum has welcomed news that the expansion of a pioneering food and drink business park is a step closer today.

The Forum played a key role in planning and developing the first phase of Southglade Food Park in Nottingham which opened in 2005 and was the first business park of its kind in the UK.

It has since managed the on-site Business Centre and services for the park, which is home to six food manufacturers.

Now Nottingham City Council has announced support for Southglade phase 2 by agreeing to pay £1.67 million of the £6 million expansion plan.

The funding approval is a key step in enabling additional finances of £4.254 million to be released from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The plan is to build additional quality food grade industrial units next to the phase one development, which has a waiting list of food and drink manufacturers keen to move in. This would double the size of the food park.

It is expected to create at least 90 jobs in the food and drink sector, as well as jobs during construction.

Food and Drink Forum managing director Fiona Anderson said: “Since opening in 2005, Southglade Food Park has been a great success, and it is excellent news that Southglade phase 2 has support from the city council.

“Expansion of the food park will provide additional high grade manufacturing units for food and drink producers and help to create new job opportunities for the area. We have had a waiting list of firms keen to move onto Southglade for some time, and I am sure they will welcome the news too.

“As the first food and drink business park of its kind in the UK, Southglade has acted as a blueprint for similar schemes across the country and in other parts of the world, such as Malaysia – helping to put Nottingham on the map for its pioneering food and drink sector – and if phase 2 gets the go-ahead it can only strengthen the city’s position as an attractive place for food and drink manufacturers to launch and develop.”

Southglade phase 1 is home to a range of different-sized food grade manufacturing units designed for firms at different stages of development.

The on-site Business Centre includes a new product development kitchen, meeting rooms and other facilities available to tenants and others in the sector.

It is hoped that the enlarged development will create a regionally significant business cluster in the food and drink sector, enabling Nottingham to attract new business and foster growth in the sector to benefit the regional economy.

Councillor Graham Chapman, deputy leader of Nottingham City Council said: “This scheme creates at least 90 local jobs and even more in the construction of the units, helps the manufacturing industry and will bring a financial return for the council of just over £125,000 a year when our ERDF application is approved. It is an excellent deal all around.”

Food manufacturing is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector. For more information visit www.foodanddrinkforum.co.uk


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LOROS to benefit from Christmas fairs

Two festive fund-raising events are being held at a pair of pubs in Leicester in aid of hospice charity LOROS.

A Tinsel and Trinkets Christmas Fair takes place at The Lansdowne, London Road, on Saturday 1st December from 1pm to 6pm.

Featuring festive carols from the University of Leicester Chamber Choir, the event will play host to a range of different stalls selling vintage clothing and accessories, handmade items for the home, cakes and savoury treats.

Meanwhile, a Christmas Craft Fair will be held at the Obar in Braunstone Gate on Saturday 8th December from 3pm to 8pm.

It will also be selling vintage clothing and accessories, as well as cupcakes, Christmas cards, homemade jewellery, chutneys and cookies.

Entry is free to both events, but donations will be collected in aid of LOROS, the Leicestershire and Rutland hospice.

Both bars are long-standing supporters of LOROS, and these are the latest in a string of fund-raising events held at The Lansdowne and the Obar in aid of the charity.

For more information please contact the relevant pub on either 0116 285 4131 (the Lansdowne) or 0116 255 8223 (The Obar).

 Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Festive fund-raising from Cherizena Coffee

Coffee specialist Cherizena has embarked on a festive fund-raising effort in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

The mail order supplier of flavoured, premium and speciality coffees is running a Christmas promotion on its website www.cherizena.co.uk

When a customer discovers a Santa hidden in a coffee cup, they qualify for 50p off their order, which will be donated to the charity. After ordering, the customer will also be entered into a competition to win one of five Christmas gift baskets from Cherizena.

The firm, which offers up to 30 single origin coffees and blends, and around 20 different flavoured varieties, has coffees to suit all tastes.

It is a leading UK specialist producer of coffee, and sources premium, rare and speciality coffees, as well as creating its own range of superb flavoured coffees.
Cherizena’s Christmas coffee is one of its most popular limited edition flavours, and last year around half a tonne of it was sold.
“We have backed Macmillan Cancer Support via its World’s Biggest Coffee Morning fund-raising effort in the past, and wanted to do something this Christmas too,” said Kate Jones, from Cherizena. “It’s a bit of fun for customers browsing our website, and hopefully it will make a nice Christmas present for charity too.”

Cherizena is based at Wartnaby, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, and supplies coffee mail order to consumers, and also to trade customers.

The competition runs until December 17th 2012.   For more information visit www.cherizena.co.uk


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Civic building award for Focus Consultants project

Nottingham-based Focus Consultants is celebrating after a project it was involved in received a key civic building award.

Interior of the Great Barn at Basing House.
Photo courtesy of Hampshire County Council

 Basing House and Grange Farm in Hampshire won the Conservation Award at the SCALA Civic Building of the Year Awards – a celebration of the cream of public sector architecture.

 The capital works were led by award-winning in-house conservation architect, Giles Pritchard, of Hampshire County Council's Property Services - a pioneering public service organisation with a long established national reputation for excellence and innovation.

 Focus Consultants was the project manager on the building and exhibition fit-out works for the scheme to preserve and repair the Grade I listed Great Barn and surrounding farm buildings on the site of the once extensive Tudor palace, destroyed during the Civil War.

 The judges said of the Hampshire County Council Property Services’ project: "Subtle adaptations and alterations have been carefully introduced to give a new purpose to this magnificent collection of historic buildings.

 The skills of all concerned with this beautiful piece of work deserve high recognition and reward." Focus partner Steven Fletcher, who worked on the scheme along with project manager/senior consultant James Peake, said: “This is excellent praise for the whole team involved in the Basing House and Grange Farm development, as the SCALA awards are deemed the most prestigious building design awards in the public sector.

 “It is the latest in a number of awards that have been given recently to projects that Focus Consultants has been involved in, and we are delighted that the skill and expertise of our teams are receiving such recognition.”

 Basing House conservation project, funded with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund, was praised for the clear research, care and attention given to preserving and restoring the historic detail of the site.

 The awards presented by SCALA – the Society of Chief Architects of Local Authorities – were announced at the Civic Building of the Year & Presidential Dinner 2012 in Manchester.

 Focus Consultants, with its head office at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and branches in London, Princess Road East, Leicester, Endeavour Park, Boston, and Manor Farm, Aubourn near Lincoln, specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the UK.

 Since its creation in 1994, Focus has secured over £800 million of grant assistance, and delivered more than £1 billion of projects and programmes.

 It works across a range of sectors including heritage, arts and culture, education and tourism. For more information visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

 Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Winners of the 2012 Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards announced

Nottinghamshire company Lindhurst Innovation Engineers has been crowned the winner of the 2012 Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards.

The firm was named the Campden BRI Innovation Champion 2012 for the development of ground-breaking technology to turn waste into renewable energy.

Lindhurst Innovation Engineers, based at Midland Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield, worked with the University of Nottingham and Arla Foods to use microbial fuel cell technology to break down food waste using anaerobic digestion and create biogas.

In conjunction with academics, researchers and industry partners, the company is also working on other innovative techniques to help the food and drink sector reduce its environmental impact and become more efficient.  

The judges said: “The judges couldn't help but be impressed with this project. The company is presenting a more rounded approach to positive impact, and is making anaerobic digestion more accessible to smaller companies. Lindhurst Innovation Engineers is a shining example within the sector.”

Earlier at the event, Lindhurst also took the top spot in The Food and Drink Forum Most Innovative Positive Impact category at the awards, which were being held for the fifth year.
 

Other award winners at the event held at Athena in Leicester were:

• Dovedale Foods based in St John Street, Ashbourne, and with a manufacturing unit at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, who were awarded The Clegg Food Projects Ltd Most Innovative Business Growth Award for the creation of Agile Manufacturing  (a term applied to an organisation that has created the processes, tools, and training to enable it to respond quickly to customer needs and market changes while still controlling costs and quality) to support the scaling up of manufacture of Dovedale's Sauces for Choice brand, with capacity to offer short-run production to other local small enterprises struggling with the capacity requirements of larger contract manufacturers. 

The judges said: “Dovedale Foods has shown innovation for its own business, and of value to other smaller businesses. The company is meeting a real need whilst having a flexible approach.”

• Moonshine Drinks Ltd, based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, who received The Nottingham Trent University Most Innovative New Product Development Award for developing a revolutionary home brew system to create quality real ales by simply adding tap water into the unique laminated bag to achieve ABV of 4%+.

The judges said: “The home brewing market is growing and this project offers good potential. Moonshine Drinks Ltd is approaching the project in a very flexible way. They have real exporting potential.”

• Just Egg, based at Hilltop Road, Hamilton Industrial Park, Leicester, and the University of Leicester, who received The Food and Drink Forum Most Innovative Collaboration Award for working in collaboration, with support from the Food and Drink iNet, to explore a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way of disposing of the firm’s egg shell waste. The company is now well on its way to using the egg shells in the reformulation of plastic to make recycled packaging to protect their egg-based products. 

The judges said: “This is an excellent example of collaboration between academia, the industry and the iNet. This project has caused interest worldwide and has game changing potential. It’s a great example of lateral thinking.”

Business support organisation The Food and Drink Forum organised the awards ceremony on behalf of The Food and Drink iNet, which co-ordinates innovation support for businesses, universities and individuals working in the food and drink sector in the East Midlands.

 

Food and Drink iNet director Richard Worrall said: “Once again we have seen some tremendous examples of innovation in the food and drink sector in the East Midlands, and I’d like to congratulate the winners of this year’s awards.”

Each category winner receives one free place to a Campden BRI conference or seminar of their choice during the 12 months following the award ceremony, plus a day of PR support. The champion receives two additional free places to a Campden BRI conference or seminar of their choice during the 12 months following the award ceremony, plus an additional day of PR support.

The winners of the Food and Drink Forum Most Innovative Positive Impact category and the Food and Drink Forum Most Innovative Collaboration category each receive a free day’s consultancy from The Food and Drink Forum.

Clegg Food Projects will provide a complimentary visit to the site of the winner of the Most Innovative Business Growth Award to provide advice or information to support the business in process or facility improvement.

The winner of the Nottingham Trent University Most Innovative New Product Development Award receives a voucher to be used towards one of NTU’s food courses.

Around 130 representatives from the food and drink sector across the East Midlands and beyond attended the award ceremony event, which was hosted by comedian Ian Moore.

Part-funded by 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. 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 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 about the iNet visit www.foodanddrink-inet.org.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk
 

Full Movement Method demos at Wellbeing & Beauty Fair

Therapists who practise the Full Movement Method to treat muscle and joint pain as well as immobility will be giving demonstrations at a Nottinghamshire Wellbeing & Beauty Fair.

The event, which takes place on Sunday 18th November, is the chance to find out more about the therapy, which has been used to help road accident victims, injured sportsmen and women, and others who are suffering pain.

It’s also the opportunity for therapists and those who currently work in the field to discover more about how to train in the Full Movement Method, which has a new course launching early in 2013.

Representatives from both the Full Movement Method training school and its sister organisation the Shanti Yoga School, which teaches yoga teachers, will be at the Wellbeing & Beauty Fair, which is free to attend and runs from 10am to 4pm at Carlton le Willows Academy, Gedling.

The event is due to feature a range of stalls focusing on skincare, nutrition and diet, relaxation, pamper sessions, therapies and treats.

Liz Thomas, who runs the FMM training school and Shanti Yoga School, will be on hand to give more information about how to train with both organisations and where to find a therapist or yoga teacher.

FMM was developed by the late Andy Thomas, from West Bridgford, Nottingham, and uses yoga postures as a diagnostic and treatment tool, alongside soft tissue techniques, deep tissue massage and joint mobilisations.

Andy, who died last year, trained many practitioners in the therapy. The next course in FMM starts in January and runs in Colwick.

Based at the Eco Centre at Home Farm, Screveton near Bingham, its sister organisation Shanti Yoga School offers yoga teacher training and continuous professional development courses, and its next course begins in February.

For more information about FMM visit the website at www.fullmovementmethod.co.uk

For further details about Shanti Yoga School, which has trained dozens of yoga teachers in Hatha Yoga since it was launched in 2003 and is accredited by Yoga Alliance as an approved Teacher Training School, visit www.shantiyogaschool.co.uk

Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Awards success for BSP Consulting schemes

Civil and structural engineering company BSP Consulting is celebrating after three schemes the firm was involved in were recognised at the fbe East Midlands Dinner & Awards 2012.

The accolades are designed to reward the whole team behind schemes in the region which fit the ethos of the fbe (Forum for the Built Environment) - a leading networking organisation for the property, development and construction industries.

BSP acted as engineers on three developments that were highlighted at the awards event, which took place in Leicester.

Derwent Living’s housing project at Vicarage Road in Derby won the Derbyshire category. The development - Derwent Living’s first level 5 Code for Sustainable Homes scheme – features a range of eco-technologies as standard.

Other members of the team were contractor Lindum Sturgeon, architects Franklin Ellis Architects, employer’s agent WT Partnership and Derby City Council.

The William Davis housing scheme for Tuntum Housing Association at Hibiscus Court in Nottingham was named the winner of the Nottinghamshire category. Hibiscus Court - an apartment building for the over 55s in St Ann’s - went on to be named the best project in the East Midlands at the awards.

Other members of the Hibiscus Court team were architects Geoff Carter Architects and Nottingham City Council.

Meanwhile the Cawrey Development Ltd environmentally conscious housing project in Fielding Lane, Ratby, Leicestershire, was highly commended. The homes use an estimated 50% less energy than a standard new build due to environmentally friendly features to save energy and minimise carbon footprint.

“BSP Consulting is proud to have been a part of the teams behind three schemes that were recognised at the fbe East Midlands Dinner & Awards for projects in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire,” said BSP business development director Jef Todd.

“Since being founded in 1999, we have built up strong working relationships with others in the development and construction industries in the East Midlands.”

BSP Consulting is based at Oxford Street, Nottingham, and has offices at Pride Park, Derby, De Montfort Street in Leicester, and Solly Street, Sheffield.

The company provides a comprehensive range of consultancy services in civil, structural, geotechnical, transportation and environmental engineering to all sectors of the construction community, from architects, project managers and contractors to developers and estate agents.

For more information visit www.bsp-consulting.co.uk

Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Cherizena launches Christmas coffee

Speciality and premium mail order coffee supplier Cherizena has launched its Christmas coffee.

The flavoured blend is a real Christmas cracker…. with a delicious aroma reminiscent of plum pudding.

Available as beans or ground, regular or decaffeinated, the Christmas coffee has been created by flavouring the Colombian Excelsior medium bean with a tasty combination of rum, hazelnut, cinnamon, vanilla, orange and pecan nut flavours.

It’s the perfect blend to put you in the festive spirit.

Offering up to 30 single origin coffees and blends, and 20 different flavoured varieties, Cherizena has coffees to suit all tastes. It is a leading UK specialist producer of coffee, and sources premium, rare and speciality coffees, as well as creating its own range of superb flavoured coffees.

The Christmas coffee is one of its limited edition flavours, and last year around half a tonne of Christmas coffee was sold.

Priced at £3 for 115g packs, the coffee is available from www.cherizena.co.uk from October 1st 2012. Last orders for consumers are December 19th 2012.

Cherizena is based at Wartnaby, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.


Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Extensive fire risk assessment contract for Focus Consultants

Focus Consultants has been awarded a five-year contract to carry out fire risk assessments on 1,000 homes in the asra Housing Group.

 The company specialises in providing bulk surveys across multiple locations and works with private sector landlords, registered social landlords, schools, colleges, universities and other organisations to ensure that fire risks in their premises are minimised.

The contract, which started in October 2012, will involve the inspection of all common parts of the asra Housing Group’s buildings and a number of sample homes, ranging from high-rise apartment blocks to two-storey house conversions.

It will also involve fire risk assessments of the asra Housing Group’s offices and other relevant buildings.

 “Focus Consultants has worked with the asra Housing Group for several years and we are very pleased to be extending our existing close relationship with the group through this contract,” said Keith Butler, a partner at Focus Consultants who is leading the project.

The work is a statutory requirement under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Housing Act 2004, and is one of six long-term asset management contracts worth more than £55million that have recently been announced by the asra Housing Group.

The inspections will be carried out by the team at Focus Consultants on properties in the East Midlands, West Midlands and London.

They will include initial risk assessments, followed by periodic reviews at regular intervals. Focus, which has its head office at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and offices in Leicester, London, Lincoln and Boston, specialises in carrying out large-scale fire risk assessments and developing, implementing and managing improvement programmes to bring risk levels down and keep them that way.

 The company provides a range of construction and property services, including building surveying, professional services such as party wall surveying and expert witnesses, energy carbon sustainability advice, project management, and economic development and funding support.

 asra is one of the UK's leading housing and regeneration providers. The group's property portfolio contains more than 13,000 homes in the Midlands and London.

For more information visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

 Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Sausages Celebrated at Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire

Sausage supremos at Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire have tasted success again for their award-winning bangers.

Croots has scooped a gold award for its Breakfast Banger in a competition to mark British Sausage Week, which runs from November 5th.

The farm shop near Duffield has won scores of awards for its homemade bangers since opening more than four years ago, including a Great Taste Award - regarded as the Oscars of the fine food industry.

Now it is gearing up for a sausage celebration to mark the annual week dedicated to the British banger – with plans to launch two new sausages.

Themed to tie in with bonfire night, the newly created sausages are the Croots Firecracker – tasty pork laced with chilli – and the Croots Sparkler, made with fig relish.

“We’re really pleased to have won another award for one of our sausages,” said Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road.

“The Breakfast Banger includes sausage, bacon and egg flavours, and was designed to be a celebration of the great British breakfast.”

The Breakfast Banger was awarded gold in the annual contest held to mark British Sausage Week, which is run by the British Sausage Appreciation Society and is now in its 15th year.

Under the slogan of Stand up for British Bangers, comedian and Al Murray’s pub landlord is encouraging the British public to enjoy quality sausages as part of the week, which runs from November 5th to 11th.

Croots Farm Shop will be staging its own celebration from November 6th to 11th with tastings and 10% off its sausages.

Butchers at the farm shop make thousands of sausages every year using Packington Free Range pork and have designed scores of different flavours, which are on sale on a rotating basis in the shop.

“Sausages are a huge favourite with the British public all year round but especially at bonfire night,” said Steve Croot.

“We’re looking forward to once again celebrating the British banger by joining in with British Sausage Week.”

Croots Farm Shop and Kitchen is open Sundays from 10am to 4pm (café until 3.45pm), and from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (café until 4.30pm). It is closed on Mondays.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

 Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

The BPEC Charity Life Award gives out almost £30,000 to plumbing good causes

Almost £30,000 has been given out in charitable donations by training and certification provider BPEC to projects that use plumbing skills to enhance life.

At its first ever Life Award presentation ceremony, The BPEC Charity made four awards to deserving projects.

In memory of BPEC’s founding chairman Raymond J Brooks, they were presented by the charity’s trustees at an event attended by 100 representatives of the plumbing industry at Pride Park Stadium, Derby, on October 24th 2012.

The Master of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers Charles Yuill gave the guest speech.

The BPEC Charity Life Award 2012 was presented to Lee Firth and his team of apprentices at NG Bailey in Leeds for the design of a project that will deliver a safe water system to a health clinic in Cobue, Mozambique.

The team, which also included mechanical BSE student James Reid, junior project engineer Oliver Pengelly, and trainee mechanical designer Kayley Lockhead, was awarded £12,000 from The BPEC Charity.

Winning the award means that they will now be able to travel to Mozambique to install the design, which was drawn up following an approach from a UK doctor working in Mozambique.

Currently drinking water in the village is sourced from a nearby polluted lake.

“My team feels privileged to have an opportunity to deliver a project which will have an enormous impact on the lives and well-being of people in such a deprived area,” said Lee Firth, professional development manager.


The BPEC Charity also awarded a Conditional Award of £10,000 to Burnley College for a project to take apprentice plumbers to Uganda to work alongside a village community to build wells to provide safe, clean drinking water.

Plumbing tutor Stephen Dobney intends to work with the Drop in the Bucket charity to get the project off the ground and is embarking on a fundraising bid involving the college and local community.

“Our goal is to decrease the number of children needlessly dying of malaria brought on by drinking contaminated water,” said Stephen.

“Using the skills students have developed in theory and practical lessons, we want to work alongside the community and help build wells that will provide the safe, clean drinking water that these people so desperately need. It will make a massive difference to the way the villagers live, and ultimately save their lives.”

A Development Life Award of £6,000 was presented to Martin Biron, head of school (construction), and his associates from the College of North West London for the development of a virtual plumbing college online to support plumbing students and teachers.

Over the past four years, many thousands of students have used the virtual online 3-D training environment.

“As an educator, over the past five years I have been driven with a passion to develop educational resources to encourage individuals to develop the skills needed to become competent and proficient plumbers,” said Martin.

The award will fund the online 3-D world on the Second Life virtual reality site for a further two years.

A Merit Life Award of £1,500 was presented to plumber John Booth, from Fareham, Hampshire, for his involvement in the Peace & Hope Trust’s charity work in Nicaragua.

John has financed two trips to Nicaragua since 2003, and has been involved in supervising plumbing projects that have helped to collect rainwater and provide safe, clean drinking water.

A number of other developments have also been introduced, such as a toilet to separate urine and faeces, which helps with crop fertilisation.

Each expedition costs £1,500 and the award will allow John to visit Nicaragua again to help continue the work, which is part of the reconciliation and construction programme started in 1990 following an earthquake in 1971 and the civil war in the 1980s which left the Central American country impoverished.

BPEC chairman Frank Glover said: “BPEC is delighted to have presented four separate awards at our inaugural BPEC Charity Life Awards event.

Each of the award winning entries has shown how plumbing can make a difference to life, and we congratulate this year’s winners.”

The search has now started for applicants for next year’s BPEC Charity Life Awards, with organisers urging those who work in the plumbing sector to put themselves forward.

“There are so many ways in which plumbing skills can enhance life,” said Frank Glover.

 “It may be through product invention, an innovative solution or service, a charitable plumbing activity or project, raising the image of plumbing or a change in perspective.

 We hope that this year’s winners will provide inspiration to others who could be award winners in 2013.”

BPEC, which was established in 1992, is the leading provider of training and certification for the building services engineering sector, which covers the gas, oil, plumbing, electrotechnical, heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration industries.

The organisation’s training materials range from technical training packs for domestic gas safety and water regulations to a selection of renewable energies manuals such as solar thermal hot water and heat pumps.

BPEC is dedicated to education and lifelong learning, and seeks to encourage individuals to undertake further training to continuously update their skills, both for personal development and to keep abreast of the industry’s technological advances.

Its charitable arm – The BPEC Charity – launched the Life Award in 2012 to reward and support those in the UK plumbing industry who use plumbing skills to enhance life.

To find out more about entering next year’s Life Awards visit www.bpec.org.uk/charity

Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Major Peterborough Cathedral role for Focus Consultants

Focus Consultants has been appointed as part of the team introducing ambitious improvements at Peterborough Cathedral to mark the 900th anniversary of its founding.

Heritage and funding experts at Focus have been chosen to project manage a second-round bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for a grant to take the project forward.

Now Focus is working with a number of specialists to develop the scheme design for the planned new Heritage and Education Centre at Peterborough Cathedral, which is the first phase in a multi-million pound project.

Other developments being planned for the future include a new Cathedral and Community Music School and improvements to the cathedral, its furnishings and its precincts.

It is the second cathedral contract won by Focus recently, and follows the firm’s appointment as buildings project manager and quantity surveyors on a £3 million project to conserve and repair England’s second oldest cathedral, Rochester.

“We are very pleased to be working with Peterborough Cathedral and its wider community on this special project to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the cathedral’s founding,” said Focus project manager Ellie Clarke.

“The vision is for the cathedral to be a place of worship, education and music, encompassing all aspects of an ever-growing and changing society, and Focus is proud to be playing a key role in helping the achievement of these aims.”

Focus Consultants, which is based in Nottingham with offices in London, Leicester, Boston and Lincoln, is spearheading the development of the new Heritage and Education Centre, which involves refurbishing the Grade 1 listed Knights’ Chamber.

The £3 million development is part of a £10 million campaign of improvements at the cathedral, which, in 2018, will mark the 900th anniversary of the foundation of the present cathedral building.

The plans received a first-round pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) earlier this year, with the second-round capital bid being prepared for submission in the New Year.

Focus Consultants specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the Midlands and the UK.

Focus has secured more than £800 million of grant assistance, and delivered more than £1 billion of projects and programmes since 1994.

It has worked on a number of heritage and ecclesiastical developments including Lincoln Cathedral Old Palace, St. Margaret’s in Bradford, Nottingham’s St. Martha’s the Housewife and Greyfriars Tower, King’s Lynn.

www.focus-consultants.co.uk

Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Luke Evans Bakery in Derbyshire waves goodbye to long-standing employee

Loyal Luke Evans Bakery employee Phil Tomlinson has retired from the Derbyshire bakery after 47 years with the company.

General manager Phil, known to his colleagues and customers as Sam, joined the business as a Saturday boy at the age of 13 – earning £1 a day.

He has worked for a number of generations of the Luke Evans family, starting with the fourth generation, Joe Evans, who was at the helm in 1965.

Now 60, Phil has decided to retire from the Riddings-based bakery and said: “As far as I’m concerned, I have been good for Luke Evans and Luke Evans has been good for me. I have enjoyed it – it’s been fantastic.”

Phil, who lives at South Normanton with his wife Denise, a mobile hairdresser, has no concrete plans for his retirement, but hopes to spend more time with his two-year-old granddaughter Laila and has promised to help his daughter Rachael convert her new house in Somercotes.

David Yates, managing director of Luke Evans Bakery, said: “Phil, or Sam as we call him, has been a tremendously loyal colleague to us all, and we wish him all the best in retirement. He’s seen lots of changes since he joined us in 1965 and met many customers, who I am sure will join me in congratulating him on his long service and in wishing him well for the future.”

Phil’s retirement has sparked a number of changes to the management team at Luke Evans Bakery, which was founded in 1804 and supplies bread and cakes across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire.

Mark Dance, who joined Luke Evans as a van lad in 1987 before becoming a driver, becomes transport manager.

Craig Storer, who has been at Luke Evans since the age of 16 in 1991, becomes sales manager for the bakery. He previously worked as a driver and then joined the despatch team.

The new despatch manager is Simon Orme, who joined the company in 1989 as a van lad at the age of 16. He went on to become a driver, before moving to pastures new, and then returning 15 years ago when he joined the despatch team.

“I’d like to congratulate Mark, Craig and Simon, who between them have worked for Luke Evans Bakery for many years - all starting as van lads,” said David Yates. “I have great confidence in the new management team and it’s great to be able to promote from internally - especially as they have grown with the business.”

Phil swapped his six-day a week paper round in Leabrooks which earnt him 15 shillings a week for his £1 a day Saturday job at Luke Evans Bakery when he was 13.

After leaving school he became a van lad at the age of 15, before later working in despatch. He especially enjoyed his time in sales, he said.

“When I first started we delivered to shops but also door to door. We used to pull up on various housing estates in places like Somercotes and Riddings – just like a mobile shop,” said Phil, who was given the nickname of Sam by colleagues when he was a teenager and it’s stuck throughout his working life.

Luke Evans Bakery sells direct to the public from its shop in Greenhill Lane, Riddings, and also supplies around 300 trade and wholesale customers across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, including shops, cafes, 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 from farmhouse loaves and bread rolls to fresh cream éclairs and iced buns.

For more information visit www.lukeevans.co.uk

Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Shortlist announced for the 2012 Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards

The Food and Drink Forum, organisers of the 2012 Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards have unveiled the names of the shortlisted candidates in the running to receive an accolade.

The candidates include businesses and universities around the East Midlands.

The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony at Athena in Leicester on November 15th, hosted by comedian Ian Moore.

Food and Drink iNet director Richard Worrall said: “We had a record number of entries this year to the Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards, which reflects the exciting research, development and business growth going on in the East Midlands food and drink sector.

“We are looking forward to hosting the awards ceremony, which has become one of the highlights of the calendar for the industry in the region. I am sure it will be inspirational to hear about the very different forms that innovation can take.”

This year there are four categories in the Food and Drink iNet Innovation Awards – with the overall winner being named Campden BRI Innovation Champion 2012.

The shortlisted nominations are as follows:

The Clegg Food Projects Ltd Most Innovative Business Growth Award

• Dovedale Foods Ltd, St John Street, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, with a production unit at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham. The firm has been shortlisted for its creation of Agile Manufacturing (a term applied to an organisation that has created the processes, tools, and training to enable it to respond quickly to customer needs and market changes while still controlling costs and quality) to support the scaling up of manufacture of Dovedale's Sauces for Choice brand, with capacity to offer short-run production to other local small enterprises struggling with the capacity requirements of larger contract manufacturers.

• Original Recipes, Boythorpe Business Park, Dock Walk, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The firm has used an old recipe and given it a modern twist to create Granny Mary’s Finest Potted Beef, and has used the same ethos to drive the company’s project growth by getting chosen as one of the final 18 in the new BBC3 series Be Your Own Boss. This gives the firm the opportunity to broaden contacts and experience, enabling the maximisation of marketing and promotion of the business in a relatively short period of time.

  • The Bottle Kicking Cider Company, Hallaton, Market Harborough, Leicestershire. The company has been shortlisted for the conversion of metallised bags, previously used in the wine industry, to enable creation of a draught real cider that fulfils the CAMRA criteria, that can be stored and used from the bag whilst keeping the airtight vacuum to prevent spoilage and improve shelf life.

The Nottingham Trent University Most Innovative New Product Development Award

• Moonshine Drinks Ltd, Fairview Court, West Bridgford, Nottingham. The enterprise has developed a revolutionary home brew system to create quality real ales by simply adding tap water into the unique laminated bag to achieve ABV of 4%+.

• The Gourmet Spice Company, Kettering Road, Weldon, Northamptonshire. The firm has been shortlisted for challenging traditional flavour delivery techniques to create flavour combinations that are both innovative and exciting. This has enabled Gourmet Spice to develop products that deliver multi-sensory experiences.

• Xcel Milk Nutrition Ltd, Coton Road, Walton on Trent, Derbyshire. The company has been shortlisted for the development of a unique fresh milk-based post-exercise drink, after working with sports nutrition experts and applying existing research in sports recovery.

Most Innovative Positive Impact Award

• Deli Continental Ltd, Pintail Close, Victoria Business Park, Netherfield, Nottingham. This project focused on achieving the very best nutritional values in Deli Continental’s pizza bases, initially with salt reduction, whilst ensuring the authenticity of their artisan production methods. Collaboration with the University of Nottingham has resulted in a product that has already raised interest with local county council schools.

• Lindhurst Innovation Engineers, Midland Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. Founded on anaerobic digestion, the H2AD technology that Lindhurst has developed in collaboration with the University of Nottingham and Arla Foods is based around a microbial food cell that allows bacteria in food waste to digest quicker and produce a hydrogen rich biogas.

• Nutbrook Brewery, Hallam Way, West Hallam, Derbyshire. The company has invested in a wind turbine and some solar panels to create electricity for the brewery and to reduce controllable costs whilst having a positive impact on the environment and the firm’s carbon footprint. Nutbrook Brewery hopes to also inspire other small businesses to follow suit and embrace the benefits of environmental responsibility.

Most Innovative Collaboration Award

• Biopolymer Solutions Ltd, Sutton Bonington Campus of the University of Nottingham, near Loughborough, Leicestershire. Research at the University of Nottingham discovered that the properties of xanthan gum could be changed by extrusion cooking. Collaboration between the University of Nottingham and Biopolymer Solutions has enabled funding to support the ongoing trials into the range of applications of the new material, hydraxan, which reduces issues of poor xanthan dispersion.

• Just Egg Ltd, Hilltop Road, Hamilton Industrial Park, Leicester. By working in collaboration with the University of Leicester, with support from the Food and Drink iNet, Just Egg has been exploring a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way of disposing of the firm’s egg shell waste. The company is now well on its way to using the egg shells in the reformulation of plastic to make recycled packaging to protect their egg-based products.

• The University of Northampton and the University of Nottingham. This collaboration of the Universities of Northampton and Nottingham with Stichelton Dairy in north Nottinghamshire focused on the aroma development and influence of secondary microflora in blue cheese production to enable an understanding of the variants that can influence the consistency of cheese production.

Tickets are now on sale for the ceremony to present the Innovation Awards, which are being held for the fifth year, and which recognise and reward the brightest ideas in the East Midlands’ food and drink sector.

Part-funded by 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.

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 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 about the iNet visit www.foodanddrink-inet.org.uk Tickets for the Innovation Awards cost £69.50 plus vat per person, with discounts for members of the Food and Drink Forum, and are available by contacting the events team on 0115 9758810.

Some sponsoring, table hosting and exhibiting opportunities are still available for the event. Contact the events team for details.

www.foodanddrink-inet.org.uk

Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Food service distributor Holdsworth relocates to larger premises

Food service distributor Holdsworth is relocating its Northampton depot to larger premises in Wilstead, Bedford, as part of its on-going expansion plans.

The company, which delivers wholesale food to caterers across the UK, is moving its Northampton operation to a 26,300 sq ft site featuring a warehouse and cold store facility in Kenneth Way, Wilstead Industrial Park, on October 1st.

The move takes the company closer to its customer base and will provide the business with room for additional expansion.

Founded in 1969 by Chairman Michael Holdsworth, the family-owned, privately run company employs more than 270 members of staff across seven depots in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Northamptonshire, Worcestershire and Powys.

It stocks around 5,000 lines which are supplied wholesale to pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels, schools and other catering outlets.

Managing Director John Marriott said: “The relocation from Northampton to Bedford has been prompted by expansion, and we are delighted to be moving into a bespoke unit which was built only four years ago and which is perfect for a growing company such as ours.

“This takes us nearer to our customer base, with fast links to the M1 and the A1, and we will be looking to expand our business in the Bedford area.”

Existing staff are being supported in making the move to the new premises. The move has also created some new vacancies which have been filled by people from the local area.

Situated at unit 31 on the gated industrial park, Holdsworth’s new facility includes cold storage, warehouse space, with three dock level loading doors, offices, a yard and car parking.

Holdsworth is currently marketing for sale its premises in St James Mill Road, Northampton, which the company bought in 2000, and which includes 8,625 sq ft of buildings, plus a yard.

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 40 new multi-temperature vehicles.

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, frozen and ambient goods which now includes a comprehensive range of fresh meat, prepared by the company’s team of skilled butchers.

A member of the British Frozen Food Federation, Holdsworth has its head office at Tideswell in Derbyshire.

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

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk