Focus Consultants helps secure £2.46m Heritage Lottery Fund grant for Peterborough Cathedral

Heritage and funding experts at Focus Consultants are celebrating the news that Peterborough Cathedral has been awarded a £2.46m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

Nottingham-based Focus Consultants was appointed to assist the management of the second-round bid to the HLF. News of its success means that Focus has now helped to secure more than £925m of grant assistance for a range of projects and businesses across the UK since 1994.

“It is great news that the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded a £2.46m grant for the ‘Peterborough 900: Letting it speak for itself' project, which is introducing ambitious improvements to Peterborough Cathedral to mark the 900th anniversary of its founding,” said Steven Fletcher, partner at Focus Consultants.

“Focus worked with a number of specialists to develop the scheme design for the planned new Heritage, Visitor 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.”

Focus Consultants specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages, and has worked to help a number of significant heritage, ecclesiastical, arts, culture and leisure schemes gain grants from a range of funding sources.

It is part of the team that earlier this year secured a £3.55m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for work on England’s second oldest cathedral, Rochester Cathedral. Focus is project manager and quantity surveyor on a project at the cathedral which is introducing new visitor displays in the crypt and library, while improving access to the atmospheric spaces and showcasing the cathedral's centrepiece manuscript: the Textus Roffensis.

Focus has also been successful in helping clients with Regional Growth Fund (RGF) bids. Engineering firm Bifrangi secured up to £4.8m of growth funding from the RGF to develop a research and development centre in Lincoln after working closely with Focus to develop the bid.

The Very Reverend Charles Taylor, Dean of Peterborough said: “This award is very good news both for Peterborough Cathedral, for the city and the wider region. It affirms our plans to make our cathedral more accessible to new visitors, not only physically but also intellectually and culturally. This can only be good for the regional life and economy. We are enormously grateful to HLF for recognising what the cathedral can offer to the community, and also to all who have supported the bid.”

Focus Consultants is based at Phoenix Business Park in Nottingham with offices in London, Leicester, Boston and Aubourn, near Lincoln.

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

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Derbyshire farm shop Croots sells reindeer food for charity

Customers and staff at Croots Farm Shop near Duffield are raising money for Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre this festive season by making sure that Santa’s reindeer are fully fed. 

The farm shop on Wirksworth Road is selling special packs of reindeer food, which children will be encouraged to sprinkle in their gardens and near their homes on Christmas Eve. 

Proceeds from the fund-raising effort will be given to Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre, which is one of Croots Farm Shop’s adopted charities this year. 

The charity was established in 1891 to give disadvantaged Derbyshire children holidays in Skegness, Lincolnshire, and currently provides 450 holiday places per season for boys and girls aged from eight to 14.

The centre needs to raise more than £150,000 every year, and generous customers and staff at Croots have already raised several hundred pounds for the charity since adopting it two years ago.

“Any food the reindeer don’t eat will be scooped up by wild birds, as the packs contain rolled oats, as well as a sprinkle of something sparkly,” said Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop based at Farnah House Farm. 

The packs cost £1 and are part of this year’s annual festive fund-raising at Croots, which also includes a raffle and the chance to win a £50 hamper packed with tasty goodies. More than 70 packets of the special reindeer food have already been sold.

Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre is one of two charities regularly supported by Croots. The other is the Shire Horse Society.

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

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

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BSP Consulting appointed as engineers for supermarket scheme

Nottingham-based civil and structural engineering company BSP Consulting has been appointed as part of the team building a new £8m Tesco supermarket.

Work has got underway at the site in Hoyland, Barnsley, where Sheffield-based contractor JF Finnegan is building the 28,000 sq ft food store.

JF Finnegan is constructing the eco-store at the redundant site of the former Hoyland Market Street Primary School after being appointed by Litton Properties and Tesco who have partnered to deliver the supermarket, which is expected to create some 140 local jobs.

BSP Consulting, which is based at Oxford Street, Nottingham, with offices in Derby, Leicester and Sheffield, is handling the structural, civil and traffic engineering aspects of the scheme.

One key challenge for the team has been the re-engineering of the sloping site to remove a 13-metre difference between levels and to form a plateau.

“Landscaping in and around a modern retail store is restricted to very tight gradients and this proved a challenge for the scheme, the site of a former school which had a significant existing slope,” said BSP director Carl Hilton. “Our team is highly experienced, both in re-engineering and in retail development, however, and we are very pleased to be involved in a scheme which will breathe new life into this particular site.”

Preparatory site work has now begun, with handover scheduled for summer 2014.

The Hoyland scheme is the latest in a number of retail projects that BSP has been involved in. The company is currently also working on a major new Tesco Extra store and filling station in Rotherham, which is due to be completed in late 2014.

BSP Consulting 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. It was founded in 1999 and operates across the UK.

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

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Building and project management firm Focus Consultants appointed for Pilgrim Hospital work

Building and project management firm Focus Consultants has been appointed by new client United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) to carry out a range of improvement work at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston.

Currently design work is continuing on the new Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) reception desk in the main entrance. Work is due to get underway on-site in the New Year.

Focus will be working with the trust on various projects, including demolition, remodelling and refurbishment work at various locations across the Sibsey Road site.

In delivering the schemes, Focus Construction and Property Services will be providing a full spectrum of services including building and quantity surveying through design services, technical project management and contract administration to take the projects through to completion.

ULHT joins a number of other NHS trusts and hospitals which have used Focus Consultants’ services to help with improvement schemes, including Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Trust and St Luke’s Hospital, Market Harborough.

“We are proud to be working with United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust on these projects at Pilgrim Hospital, which is just ten minutes from the Focus Boston offices in Endeavour Park,” said Trevor Newton, partner at Focus in Lincolnshire.

“The health service is a very important public sector service, and, having worked with a number of NHS trusts, we are pleased to now be bringing our skills and expertise to helping with improvements at our local hospital.”

The work that Focus Consultants will be carrying out is part of on-going refurbishment at Pilgrim Hospital.

Focus Consultants, which also has offices in Aubourn in Lincolnshire, Nottingham, Leicester and London, specialises in funding, research and economic development, project and programme management, construction and property services and energy carbon sustainability services.

www.focus-consultants.co.uk

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New flavour launched by rebranded snacks OLOVES

Olive snacks OLOVES have undergone a rebrand and launched a new flavour by adding a tasty pack of black olives to the range.
The healthy snacking alternative has introduced chili and garlic flavoured black pitted olives to its collection.

Sealed in eye-catching, liquid-free, foil-fresh packs, OLOVES are popular with both children and adults, as they are low in calories and high in taste.

The brand has recently introduced new packaging designs, enhanced its flavours and begun using juicier and plumper olives, as well as launching a fourth flavour.

Other varieties in the range include three different flavoured green olives - basil and garlic, lemon and rosemary, and chili and oregano.

OLOVES are popular with retailers and consumers in the United States and many other countries, as well as on airlines worldwide – but now the team is renewing its focus on the UK retail market.

“At OLOVES we keep on improving everything in our range. For example we are increasing the size of the olives we use and these babies are juicier and plumper than before,” said Matt Hunt, founder and CEO of OLOVES.

“We’ve also created tasty new marinades to keep our loyal fans happy and tempt in new ones, and we’ve a cool new website and refreshed packaging to show off our new range, which includes a brand new black olive flavour.”

The basil and garlic flavour pack of OLOVES, previously known as Tasty Mediterranean, has sold more than seven million packs alone since it was launched in 2007.

Gluten free, low in fat, vegan and vegetarian friendly, and 100% kosher, OLOVES are suitable for coeliacs, contain no dairy, wheat or nuts, are stone-free and are packed with vitamin E. Each 30g pack contains at least ten olives, and yet has only 50 calories.

Great for lunchboxes, snacking on the go and as a healthy alternative to some other snacks, OLOVES have won five different awards around the world.

They are now sold in 14 countries. In the UK they are available via a number of independent and national accounts including Holland & Barrett, P&H, Shell PFS and NUS.

OLOVES, which have a RRP of 0.89p, have a shelf life of 18 months.

www.oloves.com

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Focus Consultants sets sail on boatbuilding college scheme

Project managers at Focus Consultants are helping to create a new £5.5 million Boatbuilding and Heritage Skills Training Centre.

The firm is working with Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust and the International Boatbuilding Training College on the project to restore and refurbish Boathouse 4 – an iconic building within Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

PNBPT recently received a £3.75 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the scheme, which will become a centre of excellence for boatbuilding training and will also include exhibitions and displays relating to the British Navy’s small boats.

Boathouse 4, built during the 1930s rearmament period, is currently in a run-down state, and Nottingham-based Focus Consultants has been appointed as project manager and quantity surveyor for the restoration and refurbishment scheme, which is due to get underway on site in August 2014.

The boatbuilding training college, which will focus on preserving and celebrating valuable traditional skills, is due to open in April 2015.

“Focus Consultants is proud to be playing a part, not just in restoring a significant building in the dockyard, but in helping to create training facilities that will support boatbuilding and heritage training skills for the future,” said Steven Fletcher, partner at Focus Consultants, which is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham.

“Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is the centre of the nation’s maritime heritage and there are exciting plans to include displays and exhibits that tell the story of some of the famous small boats in the British Navy.”

IBTC Portsmouth, the new, south coast branch of the International Boatbuilding Training College, and Highbury College will deliver courses at the centre, which will provide annual Heritage Bursaries, offering local people currently unemployed or disengaged with education the opportunity to undertake one year’s full time traditional boatbuilding training, leading to a City and Guilds qualification and an IBTC Portsmouth Diploma.

The project has also received £479,000 from the Regional Growth Fund, a government initiative supporting large projects with the potential to create long-term private sector jobs, as part of a £1.3m award towards PNBPT projects.

Focus Consultants, which also has offices in Leicester, Boston, Aubourn near Lincoln, and in Holborn, London, has been involved in a wide range of schemes linked to the heritage of the British forces, including an impressive new visitor centre for Second World War cruiser HMS Belfast, which opened earlier this year. The firm is currently working on a multi-million pound redevelopment at the National Army Museum in Chelsea. The company also recently carried out a feasibility study for a new heritage attraction at RAF Scampton – the home of the Royal Airforce Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, and the base from which 617 Squadron carried out the Dambusters raid 70 years ago.

www.focus-consultants.co.uk

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Cherizena unveils Christmas coffee

Coffee specialist Cherizena has launched its limited edition Christmas coffee for 2013.

The festive flavour is a real Christmas cracker…with an aroma reminiscent of plum pudding and a delicious spiced taste.

Created by flavouring the Colombian Excelsior medicum bean with a tasty combination of rum, hazelnut, cinnamon, vanilla, orange and peacan nut flavours, the Christmas coffee has proved to be Cherizena's most popular limited edition blend.

Last year almost three quarters of a tonne of the specially flavoured coffee was sold.

Available as beans or ground, regular or decaffeinated, the Christmas coffee is delivered direct to the doorstep via mail order.

It makes the perfect present for coffee lovers, the ideal accompaniment to any festive gathering or a fitting finale to a Christmas meal.

Priced at £3.25 for a 115g pack, the Christmas coffee is one of a host of around 20 different flavoured coffees created by Leicestershire-based family-run firm Cherizena.

The company, which is a specialist supplier of premium, speciality and flavoured coffees, also offers up to 30 single origin coffees and blends – all available by mail order.

For more information or to order visitwww.cherizena.co.uk

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Just add water into the unique Moonshine bag to brew quality ‘just like the pub’ real ale.

 A revolutionary new home brewing bag which creates 25 pints of beer in around 14 days simply by adding water to a unique and patented brewing bag has been launched by Moonshine Drinks Ltd.

The beer tastes just like any pub-pulled pint….and is the easiest way that’s ever been invented for brewing real ale at home.

Each bag contains only quality ingredients for brewing real ale. Simply pour tap water into the Moonshine bag, add the contents of the ‘Moondust’; their customised yeast and nutrient to mirror traditional brewing methods in this unique environment,……. and there you have it, in just a few days you’ll have 25 pints of naturally conditioned beer and it equates to around £1 a pint.

The real ale brewing bag, which won the Food and Drink iNet’s ‘Most Innovative New Product Award’ of 2012, brews ale to 4.2% ABV and is being branded as the simple and natural way to make real ale at home.

After the successful launch of Four Candles Bitter, which is being sold through Lakeland Limited stores and online, selected independent department stores and quality garden centres, two new beers have been developed. Cheese Maker’s Golden Ale and Dark Adder Ale have just gone on sale via the same outlets. And come the New Year, ciders and three wines will have been developed and for sale, all using the same ‘just add water’ method.

Key figures behind the launch include Robert Constable-Maxwell, a former CEO of Ind Coope, MD of Walker Cain, Liverpool (which later became brewer Tetley Walker) and marketing director of Allied Breweries UK.

Moonshine Drinks Ltd worked with experts at the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University to develop the bag.

The product is suitable for vegans and vegetarians, and creates a natural, non-pasteurised, live beer which will keep for three to four weeks after brewing.

For more information, stockists and online sales please go to www.moonshinedrinks.com

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The (Pop up) Smokehouse @ The Obar brings authentic southern state American soul foods to Leicester

A new and exciting dining experience is coming to Leicester…for four weeks only.

The Obar in Braunstone Gate is launching a pop-up smokehouse kitchen on November 7^th featuring authentic smoked dishes.

The menu for The (Pop up) Smokehouse @ The Obar has been created by chef Liam Watson, who will be using an authentic grill imported from the States and smoking meats for up to 14 hours.

“The grill can happily smoke ten or 12 racks of ribs or a whole suckling pig,” explained Liam. “We use meat from local, traditionally bred Gloucester Old Spot and Long White pigs. Both are old English breeds famous for their flavour and succulence.

“We will cook our meat over hickory and oak pellets, to build a balanced smokey flavour. This, together with our signature spicy rub and the long slow cooking process of up to 14 hours, creates the tenderest, tastiest piece of meat you'll ever eat.”

The (Pop Up) Smokehouse @ The Obar will be housed in the upstairs room at The Obar, and is designed to add something new to the dining scene not just in Braunstone Gate but in the city of Leicester.

“Smoked food is very much on trend at the moment but we believe that this authentic approach to smoking food could be a first for Leicester,” said Lauren Pepper, general manager at the Obar.

“In true pop-up style, the restaurant will be open for a limited time only so it’s a case of ‘catch it while you can’.”

The Obar is part of the independent Orange Tree Group of pubs and bars in Leicester, which also runs The Orange Tree in High Street, The Lansdowne in London Road, and The Basement in Wellington Street.

Liam, 25, who has experience of working in rosette standard kitchens, and is usually based at The Lansdowne, will be smoking meat, vegetables and cheese. He has developed his own blend of salts, dried herbs and spices for red meats, and another for poultry and fish.

“I use these to dry cure the meats, drawing out the moisture and breaking down the proteins, and then when it comes to cooking, these flavours are easily drawn in,” he explained.

“The smoking processes work particularly well on vegetables too, such as fennel, aubergines and carrots, so we will have options for vegetarians, as well as interesting side dishes.

“We thought it would be fun to offer something experimental and something unique. One of the reasons it is unique is that it is quite a challenge to achieve these techniques and flavours – some meats will be rubbed, cured, smoked and prepared for days before they are brought to the plate. This concept is an exciting one for us and perfect for a pop-up model, seen mostly in London, but unique to Leicester we believe.”

Liam, who has been a chef since he was 18, has created a number of signature dishes, including pork ribs (St Louis cut) with an Obar rub & bbq glaze and 14-hour pulled pork and pulled pork chilli con carne.

All dishes at The Smokehouse can be complemented with perfectly matched crafts beers available at The Obar.

The (Pop up) Smokehouse @ The Obar will be open from 6pm to 9.30/10pm Monday to Saturday and from 2pm to 7pm (tbc) on Sundays. For bookings, telephone 0115 255 8223 or email obar@orangetree.co.uk

For more information visit www.facebook.com/thesmokehouseleicester

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

Luke Evans Bakery raises more than £200 for Teenage Cancer Trust as part of National Craft Bakers’ Week

Derbyshire baker Luke Evans Bakery has raised more than £200 for the Teenage Cancer Trust after taking part in National Craft Bakers’ Week.

The bakery visited Riddings School and encouraged pupils to get creative with cupcakes following a demonstration and hands-on session.

The company also staged a cupcake decorating workshop at its premises in Greenhill Lane, Riddings, and ran a raffle.

The bakery, which supplies bread and cakes across Derbyshire, as well as parts of Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, has supported National Craft Bakers’ Week regularly.

Now in its fifth year, the campaign is organised by The National Association of Master Bakers and The Scottish Association of Master Bakers and supported by the baking industry.

“We were pleased to get involved in National Craft Bakers’ Week, which highlights and promotes craft bakers in local communities, and delighted to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust,” said Helen Yates, operations director at Luke Evans Bakery, which was founded in 1804.

“I’d like to thank all our customers and everyone at Riddings School who supported our fund-raising efforts.”

Luke Evans cake decorator Sharon Dance, pictured, ran the demonstrations, supported by Charlotte Dennis, who is also part of the Luke Evans Bakery team.

Luke Evans Bakery supplies around 300 trade and wholesale customers, including shops, delis, schools and universities, as well as selling direct from its shop in Riddings, near Alfreton.

For more information about Luke Evans Bakery visit www.lukeevans.co.uk

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Launch of luxury top loader hot dog roll for caterers by bakery specialist Butt Foods Ltd

A new premium hot dog roll has been launched by Butt Foods Ltd to help caterers take advantage of one of the fastest-growing menu trends in the UK.

The seven inch luxury, top-sliced roll is aimed at restaurants, pub chains and event caterers who offer gourmet sausages as hot dogs.

According to a Horizons Menurama survey in the summer, hot dogs have become one of the most popular items on the menu and are now in the top 20 most frequently listed main course dishes, edging out scampi and chips from its top 20 placing.

The hospitality consultancy revealed that hot dogs, with a gourmet twist, are now featured on 85% more menus than they were last year.

The egg-glazed hot dog roll developed by bakery specialist Butt Foods is baked individually rather than batch baked, which means there’s no join mark, and each roll is quick frozen to retain freshness.

Simply thaw and serve the fully baked item…adding gourmet sausages and toppings to create a first-class meal.

“The toploader hot dog roll has been developed to help caterers take advantage of the growing trend towards ‘haute dogs’, which are proving to be a popular choice for consumers,” said Butt Foods Ltd managing director David Williams.

“A number of national chains now include gourmet hot dogs on their menus, and our new hot dog roll provides the perfect bread for the job. They are ideal for gourmet event caterers who are looking to make the most of their offer, as well as restaurants, pub chains and other hospitality outlets.”

Available in two flavours, classic and brioche, the big softy toploader hot dog roll is one of a range of bakery products, including naan breads, flat breads and fruit breads, supplied by Butt Foods.

Based in Nottingham, the firm was established in 1990 and now bakes up to 60 million products per year for European foodservice and manufacturing markets.

For more information visit www.buttfoods.co.uk

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Food and Drink Forum helps Leicester firm secure Oxford Street deal

Lucy Cufflin

Leicester food producer Lucy’s Food has won a contract to supply tray bakes to a flagship Oxford Street store after taking part in a project run by The Food and Drink Forum.

The Leicester Food Specialist project provides two days of free support to eligible food and drink manufacturers in specific parts of the city in a bid to help the food and drink sector develop and grow.

Cake maker Lucy’s Food turned to business support organisation The Food and Drink Forum for advice and mentoring about how the firm could gain a recognised industry accreditation which would open doors with much bigger customers.

It led to the company winning an order to supply a range of cakes to two cafés in the Debenhams Oxford Street branch. It is the company’s first national order and the firm’s biggest order to date.

Lucy Cufflin, who runs the business, said: “It’s been an incredible journey forward for our business. It’s a big step because this means we can look at getting orders from much bigger customers that we haven’t been able to approach before. Richard Wigley, the senior technical manager at The Food and Drink Forum, has been someone from outside telling us how it will work on a different scale.

“The Leicester Food Specialist project has been a great opportunity to realise what The Food and Drink Forum can do for us in an on-going relationship. Rather than trying to invent it ourselves all the time we can go to them for help.

“The Debenhams order is a regular large scale order coming in which means we can employ more full-time people and look to purchase more equipment.”

The £94,500 Leicester Food Specialist project is being funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which is providing more than 60% of the cost of the scheme, The Food and Drink Forum, and Leicester City Council through the Working Neighbourhood Fund.

The service, which runs until December 2014, is offering two free days of support to start-ups, micro businesses and small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in the food and drink sector in the city centre area. This could cover a range of support from technical advice and packaging services to marketing, help with new routes to market or accreditation.

The two days of support is for a maximum of 25 companies and there are eligibility criteria for those taking part.

Lucy’s Food has been operating in the Leicester area since 2006, producing and supplying a variety of food products to local delis and cafés, but more recently the firm, which has premises in Putney Road West, has been concentrating on its popular tray bakes and cakes. It is currently supplying Sam's rocky road brownies, Leicestershire honey flapjack and orange, almond and mascarpone cake to Debenhams.

Trained chef Lucy Cufflin is the author of the cookbook, Lucy’s Food.

Her firm is one of 15 companies that have already got involved in the Leicester Food Specialist project.

“We are very pleased to hear that Lucy’s Food has won this deal with Debenhams after taking part in the Leicester Food Specialist project and being given advice and support by The Food and Drink Forum’s team of experts,” said Forum general manager Fay Davies.

“Our role is to support food and drink businesses across the region and beyond with their development. The Leicester Food Specialist project is just one area that we are working in at the moment, and it’s great to see that the project is already achieving results.”

The next event being held for eligible firms focuses on labelling and branding and takes place on Thursday 17th October at Leicester College between 8am and 9.30am. It is also open to Food and Drink Forum members.

For more details about the Leicester Food Specialist project, eligibility and the next event, email enquiries@foodanddrinkforum.co.uk or call 01159 758810.

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Cupcake decorating organised by Luke Evans Bakery as part of National Craft Bakers’ Week

Derbyshire baker Luke Evans Bakery is taking part in National Craft Bakers’ Week which is raising cash for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The Riddings-based bakery is helping the younger generation to get involved in baking by visiting a local school and encouraging pupils to get creative with cupcakes.

Members of the Luke Evans team will give cupcake decorating demonstrations to pupils at Riddings School on Friday 11th October before letting the youngsters have a go themselves.

The bakery, which supplies bread and cakes across Derbyshire, as well as parts of Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, is also staging a cupcake decorating workshop at its bakery in Greenhill Lane, Riddings, on Saturday 12th October from 10am to noon, with the opportunity for visitors to have a go themselves.

It is also holding a raffle during National Craft Bakers’ Week, which runs from 7th to 13th October. First prize is a voucher for an 8” celebration cake worth up to £47 and tickets are available from the Luke Evans shop in Greenhill Lane.

Now in its fifth year, the campaign is organised by The National Association of Master Bakers and The Scottish Association of Master Bakers and supported by the baking industry. The event is encouraging everyone to ‘love their baker’ and visit their local craft bakery.

Luke Evans Bakery, which was founded in 1804, regularly gets involved in the campaign and this year has organised a number of events to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

“National Craft Bakers’ Week is an excellent way of not only raising the profile of craft bakers and what they do, but also of helping a charity too,” said Helen Yates, operations director at Luke Evans Bakery.

“We’re looking forward to giving cupcake decorating demonstrations and encouraging others to roll up their sleeves, get their aprons on and have a go.”

Visitors to the workshop on Saturday 12th October are encouraged to put their names on a list in advance at the Luke Evans shop but can turn up on the day, numbers permitting. Entry is £2, plus 50p for a cupcake to decorate. All proceeds will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust, which is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for the six young people aged between 13 and 24 diagnosed with cancer every day. The charity builds specialist units within NHS hospitals that bring young people together to be treated by teenage cancer experts in a place designed just for them.

Last year, events held across the UK as part of National Craft Bakers’ Week raised more than £2,000.

For more information visit www.lukeevans.co.uk

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Sanli products to be distributed by Handy Distribution Ltd and Tucks O’Brien Ltd

Sanli lawnmowers and garden products will be distributed in the UK and Ireland exclusively via two major distributors from 1st October 2013, it has been announced.

Handy Distribution Ltd will become the exclusive distributor for Sanli products in England, Scotland and Wales, while Tucks O’Brien Ltd will become responsible for distribution for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Meanwhile, Sanli (UK) Ltd will become the Technical, Spares and Warranty Centre for Europe at its base in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

“As far as our dealers and trade customers are concerned, it’s virtually business as usual. Margins remain unchanged, and our trading style and marketing activity will be unaltered,” said Simon Del-Nevo, managing director of Sanli (UK) Ltd.

“Having established the brand in the UK in recent years, this is the next step in the future of Sanli. Both Handy Distribution Ltd and Tucks O’Brien have well-established and well-developed infrastructures and I am pleased to announce that they will be exclusive distributors for Sanli in their respective areas.”

The Sanli European Technical, Spares and Warranty Centre will be managed by Claire Morris and Mark Winfield will continue his role as technical services manager.

Simon, who will become vice president for sales and marketing in Europe, said the move was part of a wider plan by parent company the S&C Engine Company to focus investment in new product development in the garden machinery division. New products will be introduced to the range in the near future.

“These product ranges will then be marketed by a series of exclusive distributors appointed to handle key markets. This process has already happened in France, and the UK and Irish market will be the next to go through such a change,” he added.

Sanli, which sells a range of good-value, high-specification petrol lawnmowers and other gardening equipment including brush cutters, chainsaws, hedge cutters, blowers and generators, supplies almost 200 dealers across the UK.

Handy Distribution is based in Swindon, Wiltshire, while Tucks O’Brien has its headquarters in Dublin.

For more information visit www.sanli.co.uk

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Food and Drink iNet launches new phase of support for East Midlands food and drink businesses

Food and drink firms across the East Midlands are to continue to receive support for innovation projects after the Food and Drink iNet secured funding until 2015.

The iNet has helped hundreds of businesses across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland since it launched in 2008.

Run by business support organisation The Food and Drink Forum, the iNet co-ordinates innovation support for businesses, universities and individuals working in the food and drink sector in the region.

It provides match-funded grants for eligible projects, business consultation and advice, and supports collaboration projects involving university expertise, as well as research projects that are relevant to the sector.

Now the iNet has announced that it has received additional funding of £669,893 from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which means that support for the region’s sector will continue until the end of March 2015.

“This is great news for the food and drink industry in the East Midlands,” said Food and Drink iNet innovation advisor Jo Murphy.

“Innovation is a key springboard to growth and we know that the iNet’s support has been important in the past in helping businesses to develop. We are looking forward to hearing from food and drink manufacturing firms across the region who are keen to benefit from our expertise.”

The iNet support includes a limited pot of cash which is available for match-funded grants for eligible projects.

The iNet is also continuing its work with universities and is currently part funding projects at the University of Nottingham which are focusing on flavour perception, salt reduction in foods and probiotics.

Other universities across the East Midlands, including Nottingham Trent University, and the universities of Leicester, Lincoln and Northampton, are also part of the iNet steering group.

Based at Southglade Food Park, Gala Way, Nottingham, the Food and Drink iNet has advisors who operate across the region.

For more information visit www.foodanddrink-inet.org.uk or call 0845 521 2066.

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

Engineers BSP Consulting secure college development project

Photo copyright Maber

BSP Consulting has been appointed as structural, civil and geotechnical engineer for major redevelopments at Brooksby Melton College.

The Leicestershire college is currently undertaking a £22million programme of improvements at its Melton and Brooksby campuses.

BSP, with offices in Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, has won a contract to carry out the engineering work for the developments at the Brooksby site, which include the construction of two new two-storey teaching blocks, an extension to the animal care centre and also the building of a multi-sports hall.

Design work is now underway for the Brooksby development, which is scheduled to be completed by September 2015.

“This is a significant appointment for BSP, and we are proud to be involved in such an exciting project for Brooksby Melton College which will provide state-of-the-art facilities and improved social and teaching areas,” said BSP associate Paul Elphick.

“As a company, we have provided engineering design services at a number of educational sites, including Oakham Church of England Primary School, Landau Forte Academy in Tamworth and Darley Dale Primary School in Derbyshire. This latest project marks a considerable investment at Brooksby Melton College and will contribute to the college’s development over the next few years.”

Architect for the scheme is Maber, and the project manager and quantity surveyor is Armsons, of Darley Abbey, Derbyshire.

BSP Consulting, which has its head office at Oxford Street, Nottingham, is currently working on the designs for the improvements ahead of a detailed planning application being submitted.

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.

It was founded in 1999 and operates across the UK.

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

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

Luke Evans Bakery joins Feeding Britain’s Future campaign

Derbyshire bakery Luke Evans is taking part in a national scheme aimed at helping young people to secure jobs.

The Riddings-based bakery has pledged support to the Feeding Britain’s Future campaign which is being staged by the food and grocery industry during September.

Organised by research and training charity IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution) and in partnership with Jobcentre Plus, the campaign is offering 15,000 training opportunities nationally.

At Luke Evans Bakery, operations director Helen Yates will run workshops over two days on September 18th and 20th focusing on compiling CVs and advice on interviews, as well as a tour of the bakery.

“We feel it’s really important to support young people in their bid to secure a job. It can be particularly tough to get on the first rung of the career ladder. Luke Evans Bakery has been hiring local Derbyshire workers for more than 200 years, so we are well placed to offer advice and support about what we look for when it comes to employability,” said Helen Yates.

“At the same time, this campaign gives us, and the sector in general, a great opportunity to inspire the younger generation to consider the food and grocery industry as a career. The food and grocery industry is the UK’s biggest private sector employer, accounting for one in seven jobs, and it needs to attract young people with the right skills in order to continue to thrive.”

Pre-employment workshops are taking place at 1,200 locations across England, Scotland and Wales during September, and more than 180 employers have united to offer 15,000 training opportunities to young people.

IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch said: “This type of programme not only helps young people understand the rules of the game when job hunting, but it also widens the talent pool from which the industry can recruit its future stars and leaders. There are benefits for everyone and we’d encourage other industries to follow suit.”

Luke Evans Bakery, which was founded in 1804, operates 24 hours a day producing a range of breads, cakes and other bakery items.

It supplies around 300 wholesale and trade customers in Derbyshire, East Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire, including shops, universities, cafés, schools and delis. It also has a shop beside its bakery in Greenhill Lane, Riddings, near Alfreton.

For more information visit www.lukeevans.co.uk

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

Ex Belfry golf pro joins the sales team at SANLI (UK) Ltd

The latest sales representative for lawnmower and garden products supplier SANLI (UK) Ltd knows a thing or two about great-looking grass and top turf.

Colin Bence is a former golf pro who worked at the world-renowned Belfry Golf Resort in north Warwickshire with its immaculate fairways and greens.

Colin, 28, was assistant professional golfer at The Belfry - the spiritual home of the Ryder Cup – for 18 months, helping golfers to improve their swing and polish up their putt.

Now he has been appointed as a training demonstration sales representative for Sanli UK, working across the central belt of England from Birmingham across to the East coast and North up to Yorkshire and across to Morecambe in the West.

The company, which sells a range of good-value, high-specification petrol lawnmowers and other gardening equipment including brush cutters, chainsaws, hedge cutters, blowers and generators, is building up a strong network of dealers across the UK, thanks to Colin and other members of the sales team.

“I’ve been in sales for most of my working career and I saw this as an opportunity to join a young but fast and growing garden machinery company, so I jumped at the chance of the job with Sanli. Now I couldn't be happier,” said Colin, who lives in the centre of Birmingham.

“Being an outdoor person and a keen driver, I get to travel the country and see some great places but also to meet lovely customers in various dealerships. It's a fantastic company to work for. All the staff are enthusiastic and want to grow the company and the MD Simon Del-Nevo has great vision and strategies as to where he would like the company to be in the future.”

Colin is still a keen golfer and now plays as an amateur.

“If I'm not at work or home the golf course is my 2nd home as I find it a great way to take your mind off everything and de stress and just to get outdoors,” he added.

Colin is working with a range of customers from machinery dealerships through to major garden centre chains, and including DIY stores. And while he’s probably more familiar with the fairway, he’s had his experiences of the rough too and can offer cracking advice about which Sanli lawnmowers suit different types of turf and terrain.

“My aim is to support local machinery dealerships, garden centres and DIY stores in selling Sanli’s products, but I’m always happy to give a bit of advice about a golf swing too,” added Colin.

Sanli supplies almost 200 dealers across the UK, and prides itself on offering a professional Sanli helpline to customers, which is a valuable selling point for its products.

Its website www.sanli.co.uk has been designed to act as a resource for Sanli lawnmower owners, and features useful gardening and mowing information and advice, owner’s manuals and safety sheets, details about offers, product registration, as well as a ‘find a dealer’ search facility.

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

New ‘shop-in-shop’ launched for garden centres by SANLI (UK) Ltd

Lawnmower and garden products supplier SANLI (UK) Ltd is showcasing its new ‘shop-in-shop’ concept for garden centres at trade show GLEE 2013.

The company has devised special self-contained units which slot neatly into a display area – allowing garden centres to easily and effortlessly promote the Sanli range.

Customers can browse information on a touch screen and check out the equipment demo models surrounding the screen on an attractive ‘striped lawn area’.

After ordering, delivery is made free next day, direct to the customer.

“Few garden centres have traditionally offered petrol products such as lawnmowers, partly because these are technical products requiring specialised sales people and also the after-sales service that is required in the form of maintenance, servicing and repair,” said Sanli (UK) Ltd managing director Simon Del-Nevo. 

“The Sanli shop-in-shop, together with the after-sales care Sanli Helpline, overcomes these challenges – giving garden centres a convenient way in which to extend their range to encompass petrol lawnmowers and other garden equipment and create new sales.”

Sanli, which supplies a range of quality, good value, petrol lawnmowers and products, including brush cutters, chainsaws, hedge cutters, blowers and generators, has devised eye-catching 2m by 3m display units for garden centres which require just power and WiFi.

The shop-in-shops, which are delivered and installed working, will be unveiled for the first time at GLEE 2013, taking place at the NEC, Birmingham, from 15^th to 17^th September. 

"The shop-in-shops require no garden centre staff involvement, as information is available from the touch screen and from the demo models surrounding the screen on the 'striped lawn area’,” said Simon Del-Nevo. “Delivery is made by Sanli, next day, free to customer, and all after-care is via the Sanli helpline and includes everything from telephone advice to 'back to base' for warranty work.”

Visit the Sanli (UK) Ltd stand in Hall 5, stand number 5D-38, for more information about the new shop-in-shops.

Sanli supplies almost 200 dealers across the UK, and prides itself on offering a professional Sanli helpline to customers, which is a valuable selling point for its products.

Its website www.sanli.co.uk has been designed to act as a resource for Sanli lawnmower owners, and features useful gardening and mowing information and advice, owner’s manuals and safety sheets, details about offers, product registration, as well as a ‘find a dealer’ search facility.

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

Laundry and workwear specialist Giltbrook Workwear Rental wins food firm contract

Derbyshire-based Giltbrook Workwear Rental has won its largest contract in the food and drink sector after being appointed by cooked meat products manufacturer Loscoe Chilled Foods Ltd. 

The Ilkeston-based laundry and workwear specialist has been awarded a 36-month contract to supply and launder food trade white coats, boilersuits and other items for the company, which employs 230 staff at its Loscoe premises.

The contract involves dealing with 1,850 garments in circulation at any one time and the laundering of 300 items per day to ensure that Loscoe staff have clean garments at the start of every shift.

Giltbrook Workwear Rental, part of Giltbrook Cleaners, specialises in providing the highly regulated food grade cleaning, laundry and hygiene services that are demanded by the food and drink industry to comply with strict safety and hygiene legislation.

Two years ago the firm introduced an innovative system on its website to allow customers to log in and track garments in real time at any point of the day. All workwear supplied by the company is barcode labelled and holds a radio frequency identification chip which allows speedy tracking of workwear through the laundry plant from booking in to dispatch.

Both systems were supported by the Food and Drink iNet, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and Giltbrook CEO Chris Jackson believes these innovations have helped the firm to win a number of new contracts, including the Loscoe Chilled Foods Ltd appointment.

“We have invested in the latest technology which means that at a moment’s notice, clients can check what stage any garment is at and gather all the necessary information,” said Chris Jackson.

“The information is there, 24 hours a day. It represents a leap forward for us in terms of customer service, and is very beneficial to firms working in the food and drink industry, which need to have evidence of efficient cleaning and hygiene standards to comply with stringent laws governing their operation.

“We are very pleased to have secured the contract to supply and service workwear for Loscoe Chilled Foods. Like us, they are a business committed to their local area and we are proud that we are playing a part in keeping their operation running smoothly by maintaining the cleaning of the staff uniforms, on a quick turnaround, with flexible approach to react quickly to their changing needs in the food production process.” 

The uniforms are serviced at Giltbrook Cleaners’ unit at Mercian Close, Manners Industrial Estate, Ilkeston, which has a rainwater harvesting, water recycling and reusing system, a high-efficiency hot water generation boiler, and the latest garment conveyor systems and monitoring through barcode and high- frequency micro chip technology.

The unit also has specialist hygiene management systems. Giltbrook Cleaners is a family-run business, which has been operating for more than 65 years and employs 41 people. Its clients include companies working in a range of sectors such as food and drink, engineering, hospitality, pharmaceutical and transport.

The contract with Loscoe Chilled Foods Ltd is worth more than £30,000 a year to the company, which recently gained supplier approval status from the 3M Health Care division. It involves selecting appropriate uniforms for food environments, adding a corporate logo and introducing a laundry management programme which includes daily collection of used workwear from Loscoe’s two sites and delivery of clean uniforms, which in the case of high care items are sealed in polythene, to eight locker locations.

Regular microbiological swabbing of garments and allergen management systems are carried out by Giltbrook to test that hygiene security is being maintained and the results are uploaded to the web portal at www.giltbrookworkwear.co.uk

Loscoe Chilled Foods technical manager Mark Curry said: “We've been delighted with Giltbrook Cleaners and the seamless way they have taken on the contract and worked with our staff. The quality of the garments, cleanliness and the aftercare service has made a big difference to our staff and feedback has been excellent. We are a lot more confident going forward with the BRC audits knowing we have online access to our workwear management information at a click of a button.”

Giltbrook Cleaners, which is a leading supplier in workwear rental and cleaning, mat provision and cleaning, locker and washroom services across the East Midlands and beyond, is committed to supporting standards in the food industry and later this month hosts an event run by industry organisation The Food and Drink Forum.

BRC One Year On takes place on September 26th from 7.45am to 10am and will hear from companies that already have the BRC standard in place. It is aimed at firms considering implementing BRC or those who would like to understand more about it.

It will be chaired by Food and Drink Forum senior technical manager Richard Wigley.

www.giltbrookworkwear.co.uk

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

Mansfield man wins SANLI (UK) Ltd lawnmower competition

Simon Del-Nevo, left, managing director of Sanli UK Ltd, with Nigel Richardson

Mansfield man Nigel Richardson is the proud owner of a new SANLI (UK) Ltd lawnmower after winning a competition run by the garden equipment specialist.

Father-of-two Nigel entered the competition via social media site Facebook and was delighted to be chosen as the winner of a Sanli LSP514 petrol rotary mower, worth £399.99.

The lawnmower is a new four-in-one model, which has side eject for grass cuttings, and has just been introduced to the UK market.

The 51cm steel deck mower was presented to Nigel by Simon Del-Nevo, managing director of Sanli UK Ltd at Nigel’s home near the Berry Hill area of Mansfield.

Public affairs manager Nigel, who works at the Energy Technologies Institute in Loughborough, said: “"I never win anything so I'm thrilled to win such a great lawnmower - I may need to invest in some new grass now to do it justice!"

The Sanli LSP514 mower has efficient rear wheel power drive for smooth self propulsion and large rear wheels for uneven and rougher lawns, making it ideal for informal gardens.

It is one of a range of lawnmowers manufactured by Sanli, which also supplies brush cutters, chainsaws, hedge cutters, blowers and generators. The LSP514 is one of three new mowers launched to the UK by Sanli recently. The others are the LS4135 and the LSP4135, which are designed as superb value petrol mowers for smaller lawns.

Sanli lawnmowers and other gardening products are available from almost 200 dealerships across the UK.
Visit www.sanli.co.uk for more information about products and the ‘find a dealer’ search facility.

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

Food and Drink Forum turns the spotlight on BRC accreditation

East Midlands food manufacturers are being urged to attend a free event focusing on accreditation in the wake of news that one of the major supermarkets will be carrying out unannounced audits on the producers of their brand food products.

Trade organisation The Food and Drink Forum annually stages an event which turns the spotlight on the BRC (British Retail Consortium) standards.

These accreditations are a benchmark in quality standards and are required by many retailers before they will stock a manufacturer’s products.

Last year The Forum staged a BRC Unravelled event to give East Midlands food and drink manufacturers more information about the standard and the developments which occurred with the introduction of issue 6.

This year it is running a free follow-up event on September 26th from 7.45am to 10am in conjunction with Giltbrook Workwear at Giltbrook Workwear’s premises in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. It will focus on activity surrounding the certification since the introduction of changes (issue six) last year.

“This event is especially pertinent, since ASDA announced in June that from October 1st 2013, all manufacturers of ASDA brand food products must have their BRC audits undertaken as ‘unannounced option 1’ which means that manufacturers need to be ready at any time for an audit,” said Food and Drink Forum senior technical manager Richard Wigley.

“I would strongly advise East Midlands food manufacturers to attend our free event on September 26th to find out more about BRC and other food standards such as SALSA.”

The event will provide an insight into BRC and other food standards, information on cost-saving skills and tools, expert advice from The Food and Drink Forum senior technical manager, the chance to understand how organisations like Giltbrook Workwear, Surepak Ltd and The Sherwood Press Group can help with equipment and services to maintain BRC standards.

If you have BRC or are looking to achieve it, having a supply chain of BRC certified companies provides traceability and easier management of your BRC certification.

This event also provides the opportunity to tour Giltbrook’s premises, a high quality work wear facility.

It is aimed at food and drink manufacturers in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland who are considering implementing BRC, SALSA or another food standard, who have BRC and would like to discuss any issues, or who would like more information about accreditation.

Places are free for food and drink producers and manufacturers and can be booked by emailing enquiries@foodanddrinkforum.co.uk

The Food and Drink Forum was launched in 1998, and operates across the East Midlands as a business support organisation for the food and drink sector. It is based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham.

For more information visit www.foodanddrinkforum.co.uk

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

More awards for Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire

Croots Farm Shop has scooped a clutch of new accolades after winning four awards at Bakewell Show.

The Derbyshire farm shop based near Duffield won a gold award for its home-made haslet and a silver award for its pork, apple and Stilton sausage.

The shop also scooped two bronze awards for its corned beef and its BBQ chicken sausage. The accolades came just a few days after Croots won one star gold awards for its pork, apple and Stilton sausage, its Shire ale, and its Croots crunchy fruit muesli in the Great Taste Awards 2013, which are one of the highest regarded prizes of the fine food industry.

“All the staff were delighted to hear about our success at the Bakewell Show,” said Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road. “Our pork, apple and Stilton sausage is proving to be a real winner.”

The sausages and meat products are all created in-house by the Croots team of butchers, who have won numerous awards.

Croots Farm Shop opened its doors in June 2008, and has recently expanded with a much larger café and restaurant, Shires Eatery.

On Saturday August 24th it will be staging a free vintage and classic car day, as well as a burger festival, cheese sampling and wine tasting.

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

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

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

Project manager Focus Consultants and architects CPMG team up on HMS Belfast project

Four Nottingham companies have played a pivotal role in designing and building an impressive new visitor centre for Second World War cruiser HMS Belfast.

Focus Consultants project managed the development on behalf of IWM (Imperial War Museums), having previously undertaken the feasibility study for the new Quayside Pavilion and given funding research support for the scheme.

Architects CPMG designed the striking new centre which has transformed the entrance to the iconic London landmark on the River Thames.

Other members of the project team were Couch Perry Wilkes, who handled the mechanical and electrical engineering aspects, and structural engineers Price & Myers.

The new Quayside Pavilion features improved entrance facilities, a ground floor café and shop and a dramatic rooftop bar. Its opening comes 75 years after the launch of HMS Belfast, one of the most significant surviving Second World War Royal Navy warships of her type, and now a museum based between Tower Bridge and London Bridge.

“HMS Belfast is an important part of UK heritage and a key tourist attraction, and we are proud to have been a part of the team that has given this museum ship a stunning new entrance centre,” said Mike Lee, associate at Focus Consultants, which is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and has branches in London, Leicester, Lincoln and in Boston.

Focus has worked on significant heritage sites across the country, and is currently project managing a prestigious multi-million pound redevelopment at the National Army Museum in Chelsea, and is on the framework agreement to develop and deliver temporary exhibitions at the prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

 Richard Flisher, director at CPMG, said: “We’re delighted to have successfully completed such a high profile second project for The Imperial War Museum, not many projects are built on stilts in the Thames! We plan to further expand our portfolio of projects in the London area and in pursuit of this aim we are already refurbishing the National Autistic Society Headquarters in Islington, we have just received planning consent for the £18m Quest Academy in Croydon and have recently commenced work on a major waste to energy project in the Thames Estuary.”

The Quayside Pavilion replaces an entrance structure which had been in place 20 years. The redevelopment will improve access for groups, schools, corporate clients and service deliveries via a new gangway. Its new dramatic roof top café-bar allows visitors to enjoy the stunning views of the historic ship and surrounding London landmarks, including Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and City Hall.

Focus Consultants carried out several different roles on the HMS Belfast Quayside Pavilion scheme, including business case and funding research, the options appraisal/feasibility study, and acted as project manager, project co-ordinator, contract administrator and BREEAM assessor.

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

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

Croots Farm Shop wins three Great Taste Awards

Derbyshire farm shop Croots has struck gold in this year’s Great Taste Awards with a trio of gold stars.

The farm shop near Duffield scooped a gold star award for its pork, apple and Stilton sausage, a gold star for its Shire ale, and a gold star for its Croots crunchy fruit muesli.

The awards, run by the Guild of Fine Food, are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the food industry and are highly prized.

“We are thrilled to hear that three of our products have won a gold star in the 2013 Great Taste Awards,” said Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road. “These awards are rigorously and professionally judged and to win a gold star signifies that a product is really something quite special.”

Last year Croots Farm Shop scooped a two star gold award for its home smoked back bacon. The previous year it won two one star gold Great Taste Awards for its traditional pork pie and its lemon oil. In 2010 another of Croots’ ales, cow juice beer, won a gold star rating, while the previous year the accolade was given to the farm shop’s black pudding sausage.

The latest awards mean that Croots now has eight gold star Great Taste Awards for its own products.

The pork, apple and Stilton sausage and the crunchy fruit muesli are made at the farm shop, while the Shire ale is one of a number of beers made for Croots by Shottle Farm Brewery, near Belper.

“Nearly 10,000 products were entered into the Great Taste Awards this year, but only a fraction received a one, two or three gold star award,” said Steve Croot. “We are honoured that our products have once against been hailed as some of the best of their kind in the country.”

Judges said of the award-winning sausages: “These look good and plump. They cut very easily. Judges like the look of these sausages in their natural casings. There's a strong taste of Stilton and a pleasant, but very smooth texture.”

They described the crunchy fruit muesli as ‘a wholesome product with no compromise on flavour’ and said that the Shire ale had a wonderful aroma that was warm and rich. They went on to add: “There's a good colour to this beer and it has a great clarity. There is also a pleasant sweetness and a lovely burnt - but in a good way - finish. The carbonation is good and delivers a little prickle up front. There's a lovely whisky note too, a slight peatiness, perhaps from the smoked malt. A good example of this type of beer and the judges like the smokiness.”

Croots Farm Shop opened its doors in June 2008, and has recently expanded with a much larger café and restaurant, Shires Eatery.

On Saturday August 24th it will be staging a free vintage and classic car day, as well as a burger festival, cheese sampling and wine tasting.

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

 For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

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

SANLI (UK) Ltd launches three new lawnmowers in the UK

Sanli LSP514

Lawnmower specialist SANLI (UK) Ltd has launched three new models to the UK market.

The manufacturer, which produces a range of mowers and gardening equipment, has expanded its collection with the introduction of the LS4135, the LSP4135 and the LSP514.

Designed as superb value petrol mowers for smaller lawns, the LSP4135 and the LS4135 both have a cutting width of 41cm (16 inches), a 50 litre collection bag and a two stroke 118cc petrol engine 3.5hp/2.3kW.

They feature effortless central height adjustment and five different cutting heights, with a cutting height range of 27mm to 72mm. With decks made of treated steel, both models weigh 27.5kg – allowing easy manoeuvrability for gardeners.

Special introductory suggested selling prices (SSP) which represent outstanding value for machines that feature central height adjustment and treated steel decks are available on both machines for a limited period.

The LSP4135, a self-propelled mower, has an introductory SSP of £199.99 (usual RRP £219.99), while the LS4135, a push mower, has an introductory SSP of £149.99 (usual RRP £169.99).

Meanwhile, the larger LSP514 model is great for rougher ground and informal gardens. It has efficient rear wheel power drive for smooth self propulsion and large rear wheels for uneven and rougher lawns.

Billed as a four-in-one petrol rotary mower, it offers gardeners four different options for dealing with clippings:
•cut and collect in a 60 litre collection bag
•cut and drop from the rear
•cut and mulch
•cut and side eject

The model has a cutting width of 51cm (20 inches), easy-to-use central cutting height adjustment and ten different cutting heights suitable for a range of 25mm to 90mm.

With a larger engine of 163cc (5.5hp/4.1kW), the LSP514 has a quick release foldable handle and a deck made of treated steel.

Weighing 40kg, the model has a RRP of £399.99, and has recently been the subject of a social media competition on Facebook to raise awareness of the Sanli brand. The competition proved such a success that a second competition – to win a LSP4135 - is now being run.

"These three new Sanli models enable our dealers to offer key features such as central height adjustment and treated steel decks at price points that represent incredibly good value and which are proving attractive to consumers. That's absolutely what we do - well-engineered, reliable lawnmowers at truly outstanding value for money for our trade dealers and their customers alike," said Sanli (UK) Ltd managing director Simon Del-Nevo.

All Sanli mowers come with a one-year warranty for consumers, with a free second year warranty that’s dependant on registration online at www.sanli.co.uk , with the exception of commercial use which has a warranty of 90 days from purchase.

Sanli, which also sells brush cutters, chainsaws, hedge cutters, blowers and generators, supplies almost 200 dealers across the UK. It prides itself on offering a professional Sanli helpline to customers, which is a valuable selling point for its products.

Its website www.sanli.co.uk has been designed to act as a resource for Sanli lawnmower owners, and features useful gardening and mowing information and advice, owner’s manuals and safety sheets, details about offers, product registration, as well as a ‘find a dealer’ search facility.

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

Vintage and classic car day parks up at Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire

A vintage and classic car day returns to Derbyshire farm shop Croots this year and will be staged as part of the August bank holiday weekend.

Taking place on Saturday August 24th from 10am to 5pm, the event is free to enter and is expected to attract at least 24 cars and other vehicles.

Croots Farm Shop, which is based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, near Duffield, held similar events in 2010 and 2011.

After a break last year, the event is set to return in 2013 – and will also feature a burger festival, cheese sampling and wine tasting.

“The vintage and classic car day at Croots has proved popular in the past and when we were asked to host it again we thought it would be an ideal event to stage on the Saturday of the bank holiday weekend,” said Steve Croot, who runs the award-winning farm shop and Shires Eatery.

Other attractions on the day will be a burger festival featuring Croots home-made burgers, cheese sampling from the Cheese Cellar and wine tasting sessions run by the Little Wine Club.

The farm shop, which opened in 2008, sells a range of food and drink produced locally, regionally and from further afield.

It stocks products from up to 40 producers from within a 50-mile radius of the shop.

It also produces its own range of products, including sausages, pies and ready meals.

In May, Croots opened its expanded Shires Eatery, offering a range of refreshments, lunches and afternoon teas in a scenic setting overlooking the Ecclesbourne Valley.

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

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

Project manager Focus Consultants celebrates RIBA awards for Royal Albert Memorial Museum

Focus Consultants is celebrating the news that the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter has won two top architectural awards.

The museum was named RIBA South West Building of the Year 2013 and also took the RIBA South West Conservation Award 2013 at the ceremony organised by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Focus, based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, with offices in Leicester, Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, and in Holborn, London, was project manager and quantity surveyor for the £24million renovation and redevelopment project.

Focus was part of the team that helped to secure almost £10million of Heritage Lottery Funding for the scheme, which was completed 18 months ago.

RIBA judges said: “This is a nationally important project, made all the remarkable when the full logistical story is explained (for example, only 0.01% of the museum archive is on display in RAMM).

”Exeter City Council should be applauded as client. The passion and commitment shown in the vision, funding and delivery of this building is extraordinary. Empowered by the community, the project now sits as an important ingredient of the emerging Culture Quarter and has become an educational and tourist focal point, and a city treasure.”

Architects for the scheme were Allies and Morrison.

Last year RAMM was named the UK’s museum of the year by the Art Fund charity.

“The redevelopment of RAMM has been a great success and the museum has attracted thousands of visitors since re-opening. We are very pleased to hear that it has won two awards recently in what are regarded as the nation’s premier awards for architectural excellence, and congratulate our team members in the project Allies and Morrison,” said partner at Focus Consultants, Steven Fletcher.

Focus Consultants specialises in funding, research and economic development, project and programme management, construction and property services and energy carbon sustainability services. It works on private and public projects across the UK.

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

Cherizena serves up Christmas coffee

Coffee specialist Cherizena has launched its limited edition Christmas coffee for 2013 and has begun taking orders from delis, farm shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs for the festive season.

Last year Cherizena sold almost three quarters of a tonne of its specially flavoured coffee, which has a delicious aroma reminiscent of plum pudding.

Created by flavouring the Colombian Excelsior medium bean with a tasty combination of rum, hazelnut, cinnamon, vanilla, orange and pecan nut flavours, the Christmas coffee has proved to be Cherizena’s most popular limited edition blend.

It is available in personalised packs for retailers, cafés and other trade customers, or branded as Cherizena coffee. It is also on sale in a variety of pack sizes, as beans or ground, and either regular or decaffeinated coffee.

Cherizena, based at Wartnaby on the Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire border, is a specialist supplier of premium, speciality and flavoured coffees…offering up to 30 single origin coffees and blends, and 20 different flavoured varieties.

The family-run company has full-colour label printing at its premises, and supplies trade customers at a range of outlets across the UK, including farm shops, delis, restaurants and cafés.

The Christmas coffee has been designed to provide customers with something special to serve up during the festive season.

For more information visit www.www.cherizena.co.uk

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

Golf day at Boston Golf Club supports Pro

More than £3,000 was collected at a fund-raising day at Boston Golf Club to support golf pro Dave Coupland in his second year as a playing professional.

The event was organised by Rosemary Sharp, from Sharps Sports Golf Management, who is Dave’s manager, and Trevor Newton, partner at Focus Consultants, which has offices at Endeavour Park, Boston, and Aubourn, near Lincoln.

The day attracted 19 teams playing in a Texas Scramble format, with the winning team named as brothers Gary and Trevor Frost, Trevor’s son Nicky Frost and Freddie Mitchell, who are all members of Boston Golf Club.

“The day proved to be a huge success and we were pleased to raise so much to help support Dave in his career,” said Trevor, a member of Boston Golf Club.

Focus Consultants, which has offices in Nottingham, Leicester, Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, and in Holborn, London, specialises in funding, research and economic development, project and programme management, construction and property services and energy carbon sustainability services. It works on private and public projects across the UK.

Trevor has helped organise a number of fund-raising golf events, including Focus Consultants’ annual charity golf day earlier this year at Belton Park Golf Club, Grantham, which raised £240 for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Dave Coupland is currently taking part in the EuroPro Tour.

Pictured, left to right, are Rosemary Sharp, from Sharps Sports Golf Management, Dave Coupland and Trevor Newton, partner at Focus Consultants.

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