Business is booming at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham

Southglade Food Park is fully occupied once more after one new tenant moved onto the pioneering business park in Nottingham and a second company currently on the site has expanded to take an additional unit.

A waiting list of firms interested in securing premises on the site remains, said Fiona Anderson, managing director of The Food and Drink Forum which is based at the business park in Gala Way.

“Since opening in 2005, Southglade Food Park has been popular with food and drink firms, and we are delighted to welcome the latest tenant and to hear of the expansion plans of an existing tenant,” said Fiona Anderson.

“Southglade was designed to provide different-sized high-grade food manufacturing premises for firms at different stages of development, with the opportunity for companies to move into larger units as they grow.

“That vision has turned into reality with the business park proving popular with food and drink companies due to the quality of the premises, the presence of the on-site business centre, the food industry experienced support from The Food and Drink Forum, its convenient location, and the fact that the park is dedicated to firms all working in the same sector.

“I am very pleased to see that Southglade Food Park is full once more, and it is heartening to hear that other companies are keen to move in when suitable premises become available.”

Distributor TransFresh, which recently moved off the site to larger premises in Wigwam Lane, Hucknall, is the perfect example of how Southglade Food Park was designed to work, she said.

“The firm moved into an incubator unit at Southglade in early 2007. When it grew, it took additional space. Now fully established, TransFresh has moved to its own larger premises elsewhere – freeing up space for new and growing businesses to move in to Southglade,” said Fiona.

The new tenant of Southglade Food Park is gluten-free, dairy-free and additive-free cooking sauces and condiments company Dovedale Foods, which manufactures the brand Sauces of Choice and which has moved into one of the smallest-sized units on the park – 433 sq m premises known as nursery units. The firm, run by directors Ian Noakes and his partner Leah Montgomery, and Ian’s mother Ann Noakes, supplies to farm shops, delis and direct to the public via its website www.saucesofchoice.co.uk

“The unit is purpose-built and perfect for small companies such as ourselves,” said Ian. “The proximity to The Food and Drink Forum and the facilities in the Business Centre that we can tap into are also extremely useful.”

Existing Southglade Food Park tenant luxury baker Cake and Biscuits LLP has also taken a nursery unit to accommodate expansion plans.

“The moves show that Southglade Food Park is operating just as it was planned, with firms occupying different sized units as they grow and develop,” said The Forum’s Food Technical Manager Richard Wigley. “We are very pleased to welcome a new company onto the park, and to help Cake and Biscuits LLP with their development, and wish them well for the future.”

When it opened, the £4.7 million Southglade Food Park was the first business park of its kind in the UK dedicated to food and drink production and containing an on-site business centre offering support to firms.

The build and first three years of operation were funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Nottingham City Council. Since then the park has been self sustaining.

At the heart of the food park community is a Business Support Centre run by The Food and Drink Forum, which maintains an on-site presence and manages the park services. It features meeting rooms, a new product development kitchen and other facilities for firms both on and off the park. Tenancies are managed by Nottingham City Council.

There are plans to expand Southglade Food Park to offer additional units when funds become available.

www.southglade.co.uk

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Bug-busting kitchen surface idea wins support from the Food and Drink iNet

Scientists researching the development of a bacteria-busting coating for kitchen surfaces and food preparation areas are being backed by the Food and Drink iNet.

Experts at Nottingham Trent University’s School of Science and Technology have teamed up with colleagues at the Holbeach Campus of the University of Lincoln to try to develop a permanent spray-on coating technology that will kill or reduce the growth of bacteria, germs and other bugs.

The process could have major implications for food hygiene and safety in both domestic kitchens and commercial food processing environments, as well as potential use with food processing equipment.

The project is one of five Collaborative Research and Development grants worth a total of more than £235,000 announced by 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.

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

“This is an exciting research project between Nottingham Trent University and the Holbeach Campus of Lincoln University, with far-reaching potential,” said Food and Drink iNet Director Richard Worrall. “The development of a spray-on coating that can help kill or reduce bacteria could bring major benefits to the food and drink industry, as well as in domestic environments.

“The Food and Drink iNet Collaborative Research and Development support is designed to provide help for innovative research schemes that will benefit the food and drink sector in the future, and this fits the bill perfectly.”

The team, which also includes the School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences at Nottingham Trent University, has been awarded almost £50,000 towards the almost £66,000 cost of the research project.

The research is being run by Dr Fengge Gao, reader in nanotechnology at NTU, who led the NTU team that was crowned 2009 Food and Drink iNet Innovation Champion for its work on the development of an exciting new material for food and drink packaging. They successfully solved the problem of leaching in bottles and took the technology a step further to add antimicrobial properties which kill or lessen micro-organisms.

Now this research is being widened to look at how the technology could be applied to surfaces.

It has been sparked by calls from the UK Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and food and drink research group CCFRA for research to develop better hygiene technology for detachment of micro-organisms on the surface of food processing facilities and preventing attachment of food on the surface of the equipment.

“The success of the development of this easy spray nano coating technology could lead to immediate commercial application,” said Dr Gao. “The technology does not require sophisticated manufacturing equipment and hence is suitable for both small and medium-sized enterprises and large manufacturers.”

The team will first target domestic application in the home kitchen, as well as in restaurant kitchens.

“The application of this technology to food processing equipment may take a little longer since this may cause the interruption of manufacturing process,” added Dr Gao. “The coating materials for equipment coating application also need more tolerance to stress, friction and other health and safety requirements.”

The coating will exhibit antimicrobial behaviour, meaning it can kill or inhibit the growth of micro-organisms such as bacteria or fungi, non-biocidal leaching and also superhydrophobic properties. The superhydrophobic surface will expel water and other wet dirty species, which will further enhance the antimicrobial behaviour by reducing the chance for bacteria to be attached on the surface. The superhydrophobic properties will also reduce the shear stresses (frictions) between food and the surface of food processing equipment. The reduced shear stresses will lead to energy reduction in food processing - making environments greener.

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 Food Processing Faraday, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Nottingham. It is based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, with advisors covering the East Midlands region.
For more information visit www.eminnovation.org.uk/food


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Food blending business upgrades IT to boost customer service, thanks to Food and Drink iNet

A food blending firm, whose clients have products on the shelves of nearly all major supermarkets, has been given support from the Food and Drink iNet to help overhaul its IT system and improve customer service.

FoodBlenders, based in Market Harborough and now in its 13th year of trading, is a bespoke manufacturer of seasonings, sauces and gravy powders.

The firm supplies pie and ready meal manufacturers, meat processors, bakeries and other food and drink manufacturers throughout the UK. FoodBlenders’ products are included in a large range of finished goods, many of which can be found in all the major multiples, including Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda and Tesco.

Now FoodBlenders has successfully applied for support from the Food and Drink iNet so it can further develop its IT system to streamline and simplify its internal systems and allow it to collate technical information in whatever format customers require, at the touch of a button.

FoodBlenders was awarded innovation advice and guidance worth nearly £3,600 by the Food and Drink iNet. The company will now match that amount with its own investment.

“It is fantastic to have received this support from the iNet,” said Liz Halstead, FoodBlenders’ finance director. “Their advisor was excellent and gave us a lot of support and guidance and we were delighted to be successful in our application. They made their decision as to whether we would get an award very promptly, which has allowed us to move ahead with the project immediately.”

The £7,000 plus IT project got underway at the end of 2010 and marked the second milestone in six months for FoodBlenders. In July, the firm was awarded an A grade BRC accreditation (British Retail Consortium), which has already provided many new opportunities for the company.

Dominic Forty, production director for FoodBlenders, said: “Since gaining this accreditation we have already brought on board several new, large national customers and are excited about the potential for the future.”

FoodBlenders sources its ingredients from the UK, Europe and throughout the world and is a member of Valid IT, which ensures top quality ingredients and traceability, both of which are crucial within the food industry. The company has an on-site product development facility, and the highly trained technical staff, led by technical manager Dianne Collins, are able to provide bespoke blends to suit each customer’s demands. This can range from matching an existing product in the marketplace, or coming up with new and exciting recipes to suit each individual customer’s brief. Once a recipe has been approved by a client, it is then confidential and unique to that customer.

FoodBlenders also manufactures a complete range of gluten-free bakery products, including the Dietary Specials range, which is found in the frozen ready meals section in several major supermarkets.

The iNet helps food and drink firms engage expertise from academia, research institutions and specialist business advice for innovation projects to develop new ideas, new products, new processes and to help companies grow. 50% of the equivalent cash value of the support must be contributed by the company.

Andrew Butterwick, Food and Drink iNet director, said he was happy to support FoodBlenders: “With its new BRC award in place, FoodBlenders is really taking off as a company, so we were more than happy to support its development in this way.”

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

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

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

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http://www.foodblenders.co.uk/

Food innovation helps company double in size

An innovative software system which helps food manufacturers spot the potential risk of allergens in their products is proving a huge success in the food and drink industry, enabling the company which invented it to double in size.

Launched last year by Leicestershire-based Qadex, with help from the Food and Drink iNet, the system already numbers the likes of Britvic and Whitworths among its users.

The Qadex system uses software to help food manufacturers gather information about their products and their supply chains, so they can assess any risk of allergens. Before the software was developed, manufacturers had to rely on a far longer, manual and labour-intensive process.

Stephen Whyte, business development director for Qadex, said the system was proving popular with manufacturers and answered a need for more accurate information on allergens in food products.

“It is becoming increasingly important for manufacturers to get really accurate information about any potential allergen risks and to be able to pass this on to the retailers and so the consumers,” he said.

To develop the software, Qadex was awarded £10,000 worth of innovation advice and guidance support from the iNet which it matched with its own investment. Stephen said the iNet support was of huge importance.

“Any support which is available is vital,” he added.

The success of the software has helped enable the business to grow significantly. Last year its turnover doubled in size and similar growth is anticipated this year. The number of employees has more than doubled to 32 and, as a result, Qadex relocated last year from central Leicester to Sileby. It also has a base in Dublin.

Other Qadex clients using the system include First Milk Group, Rectory Foods and Maximuscle.

Next summer, Qadex plans to launch another new product – a retail specification system - which will enable manufacturers to easily and automatically produce information for retailers in the format they require. For more information about Qadex, visit www.qadex.com .

The iNet helps food and drink firms engage expertise from academia, research institutions and specialist business advice for innovation projects to develop new ideas, new products, new processes and to help companies grow. 50% of the equivalent cash value of the support must be contributed by the company.

Food and Drink iNet director Andrew Butterwick said: “Innovation, advice and guidance support is designed to encourage innovation in businesses in the East Midlands food and drink sector and this project fitted the bill perfectly.”

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

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

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

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