food and drink – Page 61 – The NEN

Scottish Government launches local food strategy consultation

An opportunity to shape food policy

The public are being urged to help shape the first ever local food strategy produced by the Scottish Government.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon has urged everyone, from private individuals to businesses and organisations, to take part in a consultation – the first stage in a strategy to make high quality food accessible to all and promote the benefits of locally produced food and drink.

One of the Scottish Government’s 100 days’ commitments, the consultation covers a range of issues including promoting local produce, encouraging people to grow their own food and making quality local food and drink available to all.

It seeks views on the three pillars of the strategy, namely connecting people with food, connecting producers with buyers and harnessing the buying power of public sector procurement.

Vertical farming, a new agricultural technology that could help support local food production, is also included in the consultation.

The food and drink sector in Scotland is made up of more than 17,000 businesses which employ around 122,000 people, many in remote and economically fragile rural and island communities.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “Scotland has some of the best food and drink anywhere in the world and the benefits of consuming locally produced food goes well beyond the plate.

“By encouraging more locally-based production, we can reduce the distance food travels as well as enabling more people to grow their own food.

“As a nation, our approach to food has been changing for the better – people want to know how their food was produced, such as welfare standards and how far it has travelled.

“Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have accelerated that pace of change and we want to maximise the potential that local food production has to offer – enriching lives, improving diets, supporting local economies and ensuring that a low income is not a barrier to healthy, nutritious food.

“This consultation includes the use of new technologies like vertical farming and food production and harnessing the spending power of public sector procurement and I would encourage individuals, businesses and organisations to be part of the process that will make Scotland a good food nation.”

The consultation runs until 26 November.

Scotmid customers to benefit from new digital labelling technology

Customers at Scotmid stores across Scotland are set to benefit from clearer product pricing and information thanks to investment by the convenience retailer into new electronic shelf labels (ESLs)

The integrated technology, which will display accurate pricing and promotion details – as well as extended information such as allergens and country of origin – allows customers to make easy and fully informed decisions on their product purchases.

Customers and staff at stores involved in the trialling of the ESLs, experienced increased efficiency, reduced paper wastage and an enhanced store team morale. Scotmid now plans to install the digital labels in further stores across its estate.

The investment comes at a time when Scotmid is looking to drive store change through technology and adopt sustainable practices that reduce the need for paper usage.

Allan Robertson Programme Manager, Innovation and Change at Scotmid said: “As a retailer based in the heart of communities we serve, we continually look for innovative solutions which will deliver genuine benefits for our customers as well as our colleagues.

“These electronic labels look tidy and modern and mean that we can present our price and product information more clearly for customers.”

Steven Cannon, Branch Supervisor of a trial store, said: “The feedback from our team and customers has been fantastic. Overnight updates mean the store is customer-ready as soon as we switch the system on each morning.

“Without manual price and promotion tasks to complete and check, we have more time to assist and serve customers.”

The technology is manufactured by SoluM, a Samsung invested company, with the supply and installation carried out by Cambridge based Technology Integrator Herbert Retail.

Scotmid and Herbert Retail are members of the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS).

The first Scotmid stores to install the ESLs are:

Pilrig – Edinburgh

Barnton – Edinburgh

Rannoch – Edinburgh

Old Mill Road – Uddingston

Inverkeithing

Rimbleton

South Queensferry

West Calder

Leven Street – Edinburgh

Broxburn

Uddingston

Krispy Kreme & Xbox go next level

Gaming champion Kem Cetinay at St James Quarter Meet & Eat surprise drop TONIGHT

Gaming and doughnut fans around the world have been going wild for the new Krispy Kreme x Xbox collab drop and they want more – and Krispy Kreme with Xbox are SO here for it!

New research by Krispy Kreme revealed that re-connecting since lockdown restrictions ended has been a balm to Brits, as 75% admitted they’ve made more of an effort to do so in recent weeks. To support this, Krispy Kreme and Xbox continue their collaborate with a series of incredible drops hitting Krispy Kreme stores across the nation.

Within the research, the doughnut retailer found:

For a third of Brits, the warm, sweet smell of doughnuts is the ultimate smile-generator
For 25% of us, simply the look of a doughnut can create a smile
Almost half of Brits (44%) love to share food with loved ones

Gamer and doughnut fan Kem Cetinay, nominated as the ‘gamifying doughnuts master’ will be popping up at the Krispy Kreme store in St James Quarter, Edinburgh tonight to serve up doughnuts and Xbox Series S consoles, and will be on hand to share his cheeky smile for some Covid-safe customer selfies (for over 18’s or those with an adult).

It’ll be game on in stores! Fans aged over 18 or accompanied by an adult will get the chance to get on an Xbox Series S console and challenge Kem to his favourite games on Xbox Games Pass (socially distanced)… if they win, an Xbox Series S immediate win is promised to one lucky winner, as well as the glory!

Catch Kem Cetinay for the Meet & Eat surprise drop in Edinburgh between 5.30pm – 7.00pm this evening at the Krispy Kreme store in St James Quarter.

The Nexus Level Doughnuts – created specially to celebrate Xbox’s 20^th anniversary will be on sale for a limited time only until 22^nd August.

The campaign will see each dozen purchase of The Nexus Level Doughnuts rewarded with a complimentary 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Membership, plus the chance to win an Xbox Series S Console. Once they’re gone, they’re really gone so get them while you can!

The campaign will see each dozen purchase of The Nexus Level Doughnuts rewarded with a complimentary 1-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Membership, plus the chance to win an Xbox Series S Console.

Once they’re gone, they’re really gone so get them while you can!

Stay tuned to the following channels to find out when and where you can get your hands on prizes and to meet Kem:

Krispy Kreme Channels @KrispyKremeUK

Kem Cetinay @kemcetinay

Xbox @xboxuk

#KrispyKremeXbox

How many meals can you cook from memory?

Culinary Dreams or Kitchen Nightmares: Can Brits cook from memory?

Over 40% of Brits say that they can cook more than 10 meals without looking at a recipe
Women triumph over men, with half of the UK’s female population able to cook more than 10 recipes without consulting a cookbook, compared with just 35% of men
4% of Brits – over 2.7 million residents – say that would be unable to cook any meals from memory

Almost half of the nation’s adults could cook more than a week’s worth of dinners from memory, a recent study shows.

Analysing data drawn from YouGov, online kitchen equipment retailer Maxima Kitchen Equipment identified that 43% of Brits – over 29 million adults – felt confident that they could cook ten or more meals from memory, without consulting a recipe.

It was also revealed that women are far more confident in their culinary skills, with half of the UK’s female population able to cook more than 10 recipes from memory, compared with just 35% of men able to stake a similar claim.

Age and experience play a large role in one’s ability to cook from memory. Young adults aged 18-24 show the weakest culinary prowess, with a majority of 27% saying that they would only be able to cook a total of 1-3 dishes without looking at a recipe.

Ages 25 and upward gain the most confidence in their cookery skills, with each age category thereon sharing a majority leaning towards being able to cook 10+ meals without written prompts.

The strongest group of cooks are those aged 50-65, of which 56% claim to be able to cook a variety of meals from memory.

Around 2.7 million UK residents – 4% of the population – say that would be unable to cook any meals from memory.

How many meals could you comfortably prepare without consulting a recipe? (UK)

	All	Male	Female	18-24	25-49	50-65	65+
None	4%	6%	2%	7%	5%	3%	3%
Around 1-3	14%	17%	10%	27%	15%	9%	10%
Around 4-6	18%	19%	17%	23%	20%	14%	14%
Around 7-9	13%	13%	14%	11%	14%	12%	15%
More than 10	43%	35%	51%	23%	36%	56%	52%

Analysing further data, Maxima Kitchen Equipment found that Brits hold a slight edge over our American cousins when it comes to feeding ourselves, our friends and our families.

Despite a larger population, only 39% of US residents feel confident in their ability to prepare ten or more meals from memory. A larger portion – 36% of young Americans aged 18-24 – feel that they would only be able to create 1-3 meals without consulting a recipe.

Over 19 million American adults – a total of 6% of the population – claim that they would be unable to prepare any meals from memory.

How many meals could you comfortably prepare without consulting a recipe? (USA)

	All	Male	Female	18-24	25-34	35-44	45-54	55+
None	6%	8%	5%	8%	8%	7%	7%	5%
Around 1-3	19%	22%	16%	36%	27%	21%	11%	12%
Around 4-6	21%	24%	18%	31%	28%	20%	18%	15%
Around 7-9	10%	10%	31%	6%	11%	11%	13%	9%
More than 10	39%	31%	46%	14%	22%	36%	47%	54%

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson of Maxima Kitchen Equipment said: “It is interesting to see the disparity among age groups when it comes to cooking from memory.

“With countless recipes and cooking videos readily accessible at the touch of a smartphone’s screen, it stands to reason that younger generations would not need to actively “store” recipes in their memories.”

The research was carried out by Maxima Kitchen Equipment, which has more than 40 years of experience in the supply and maintenance of professional kitchen equipment.

Morrisons offers free water refills to customers at its forecourts

Morrisons is offering free water refills nationwide at all of its petrol forecourts, as well as in store, to encourage customers and motorists to make the switch from single-use plastic to refillable bottles.

Over 14 billion single-use plastic bottles are used each year in the UK – equal to 39 million a day – with the majority purchased on-the-go or at work. However, new research has found that 63 per cent of people would like to do more to reduce plastic, but claim the biggest barrier to taking action is a lack of plastic free alternatives.

At Morrisons petrol forecourt kiosks, customers will now be able to hand their reusable bottles to attendants who will fill them up for free, before sanitising them and returning them to the customer. The service will be available at all of Morrisons 338 filling stations nationwide.

The move comes after a 12 week Morrisons trial in August 2020 where 18 per cent fewer single-use water bottles were sold, in comparison to the same period the previous year. Morrisons is therefore extending the refill service following the trial’s success.

Morrisons has already installed over 300 stand-alone water fountains in the Food-to-Go sections of its stores for customers to fill their bottles on-the-go. It was also one of the first to offer water refills in all of its cafe stores nationwide in 2018.

Natasha Cook, Sustainability Manager at Morrisons, said:“When we listen to customers, it’s clear they want us to help them reduce the amount of single-use plastic they throw away.

“We know that customers often pick up a bottle of water when paying for petrol, so offering free water should be an effective way of reducing these single-use plastic bottles.”

Natalie Fée, CEO and founder of City to Sea, said: “Plastic water bottles are one of the most commonly found single-use plastic items on our beaches and in our oceans, which is why we have to make refilling our water bottles the new normal.

“Our free Refill app shows you where you can top up your bottle for free and now includes the 338 Morrisons petrol stations – which is absolutely brilliant news for people and the planet!

“But this isn’t just about water, it’s about all highly polluting single-use plastics. That’s why Refill now shows you where you can eat, drink and shop with less plastic and why City to Sea welcomed the fantastic news of Morrisons trialling refillable milk bottles back in store. Refill and reuse is the future of packaging, and Morrisons are taking big steps in helping us on this journey.”

Free petrol station and in store refills is the latest plastic reduction initiative from Morrisons who has reduced plastic in their 497 stores by over 8,000 tonnes of our own brand plastic packaging since 2017.

Other moves include Morrisons being the first supermarket to ditch plastic carrier bags in favour of paper carrier bags, using traditional paper bags for loose fruit and vegetables, plus introducing a refillable container service on fish, meat and deli counters to reduce single-use packaging.

Customers can locate refill stations by using the Refill App and www.refill.org.uk.

No future for McVitie’s Tollcross

“Honest answers” needed from pladis after proposals for future rejected

Following an announcement this morning by the McVitie’s Tollcross owner pladis, confirming its rejection of counter-proposals to maintain production and intentions to proceed with closure, GMB Scotland Senior Organiser Hazel Nolan said: “It seems clear now that pladis had no intention of engaging in good faith over the future of Tollcross – General Manager Jim Cuthbert told us they “expected more” from the counter-proposals but offered no specific comment on what “more” would look like.

“That’s not good enough. If pladis are walking away from this community after nearly a century of production, and after eighteen months of constant manufacturing during this COVID-19 pandemic, the very least the workforce deserve is honest answers.

“That honesty is also needed for the members of the Action Group because if a firm like pladis no longer sees Scotland as a viable place to do business, then everyone needs to understand why and what must be done to prevent further manufacturing decline.”

Travel with your taste buds!

Fabulous Fennel from Filippo Berio

A trip to Italy may still seem an impossible dream but this summer make your taste buds travel for you!

August is fennel season in the UK and fennel can be fabulous if you make it like the Italians do!

The aromatic bulb we know as fennel is popular in Italian cuisine, both raw and cooked. A simple side dish packed with complex flavours, this roasted fennel enlivened with the decadent taste of parmesan and the kick of chilli is an experience to savour.

At the heart of Italian cooking are the principles of simplicity and eating with the seasons. Filippo Berio, the UK’s favourite Extra Virgin Olive Oil, brings you the real taste of Italy – recipes that create a little piece of Italy in your own home!

Roasted Fennel

Serves 4-6 as a side dish

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: about 50 minutes

3-4 fennel bulbs, outer leaves removed and fronds reserved

3tbsp Filippo Berio Classico Olive Oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1tsp dried chilli flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

30g freshly grated parmesan

15g dried breadcrumbs

2tbsp flat-leaf parsley, freshly chopped

Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. Quarter the fennel bulbs, keeping them intact at the base. Place in a large bowl and toss with the Filippo Berio Classico Olive Oil, garlic, fennel seeds, chilli flakes and seasoning. Put into a large gratin dish or roasting tin and cover tightly with foil.
In a small bowl mix together, the parmesan and breadcrumbs. Roughly chop the fronds.
Roast for about 30-35 minutes, the undersides should be golden. Remove the foil, sprinkle over the reserved fennel fronds and the breadcrumb mixture and return to the oven. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the fennel is tender and the topping is golden.
Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve immediately, drizzle with Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Aldi hiring 140 staff across Edinburgh and The Lothians

Aldi is looking to hire over 140 colleagues in Edinburgh and The Lothians between now and Christmas.

The UK’s fifth-largest supermarket is looking for people of all levels of experience to fill roles at its stores and distribution centres across the region.

This includes apprenticeships and part-time positions such as Warehouse Cleaner and Stock Assistant, all the way up to Deputy Manager.

Stores in Edinburgh and The Lothians where Aldi is looking to hire include Bathgate, Hermiston Gait and Livingston.

The recruitment push forms part of Aldi’s nationwide expansion drive in recent years, with the supermarket currently looking to fill thousands of roles across the UK before the end of the year.

Kelly Stokes, Recruitment Director at Aldi UK, said: “As we continue to grow, we’re looking for more ambitious and hard-working individuals to join our team at stores across Edinburgh and The Lothians.

“There’s something here for everyone, from new starters looking to take their first step on the career ladder to more experienced team managers seeking a new challenge.

“Our amazing colleagues are central to everything we do at Aldi and remain one of the key factors in our success. We’re looking forward to welcoming our new recruits to the team.”

Those interested in applying for a career with Aldi can visit

www.aldirecruitment.co.uk.

Steampunk Coffee are first #FoodHeroScot winner

East Lothian coffee entrepreneur puts the planet before profit to win inaugural Food Hero award

An East Lothian entrepreneur who runs her business on the principle of leaving the planet a better place has been named Scotland’s first sustainability Food Hero.

Catherine Franks of Steampunk Coffee Roasters and Café, North Berwick, has been recognised by the visual storytelling campaign #FoodHeroScot for her commitment to positive change, doing things differently and sharing her vision of a more sustainable business model.

She wins an in-kind support package, including marketing and PR, worth over £25,000 – the first of ten such awards which will highlight the sustainability efforts of the successful brands.

Launched last month by Medialiciously and its partners, #FoodHeroScot’s mission is to put sustainability at the heart of Scotland’s recovering post-pandemic food and drink industry and create a platform to connect conscious consumers with ethical and sustainable food and drink brands, as well as helping the brands with finding sustainable food and drink suppliers.

The non-profit campaign, is supported by STV’s £1m Green Fund which champions the efforts of sustainable Scottish SME businesses by profile-raising, communicating with consumers and encouraging Scots to reduce their carbon footprint.

It is also supported by leading Scots business figures including: Alan Mahon, Founder of Brewgooder; Nick Nairn, Owner of Nairns Ltd; Carina Contini, Director at Victor & Carina Contini; Karis Gill, Co-Founder of Social Stories Club and Loral Quinn, CEO of Sustainably

Catherine Franks began Steampunk Coffee in 2012 supplying coffee and cakes from the back of a vintage camper van at events including markets and festivals with coffee roasted in her garage.

Steampunk supplied other cafes and ran pop-ups before moving to the warehouse at Kirk Ports which is the current home of their roastery and café.

Catherine is thrilled with the #FoodHeroScot award and says: “It’s such a fantastic campaign and to get this recognition is hugely appreciated. It just shows everyone can make a difference. Our ethos underpins everything we do – it’s never an add-on.”

Steampunk never serves bottled water, instead makes tap water freely available to customers and non-customers alike. Even through Covid, they promote the use of reusable cups. Catherine has long campaigned for re-usable cups and offers a discount to customers who use them.

She has a tin refilling process – temporarily suspended due to the coronavirus – which she is very anxious to resume, and her coffee comes in fully compostable or recyclable packaging. They collect their food waste and disposables for composting and aim to educate customers about the need to dispose of compostable responsibly.

“As a business we are conscious of the waste streams we produce and we want to ensure that at the end of its life the waste from any of our packaging can be recovered and put into the correct waste stream. We also recognise that it is important to give clear information to customers about how to deal with the waste to ensure this happens.

“During the last year many people had more time to think about the world we live in and how we want to change it as we come out of lockdown. I think that kind of crystallised priorities for a lot of people.”

Commenting on the first #FoodHeroScot award, Lee Fitzpatrick, Managing Director of Medialiciously and key founder of #FoodHeroScot said: “When we launched this campaign we were confident there would be great examples out there of businesses driven by sustainability and Steampunk is exactly that, a truly worthy inaugural winner.

“A number of other exciting initiatives are in the pipeline for recognition but we would encourage anyone who knows a real Food Hero to nominate them and highlight the great work being done to help the Scottish food and drink industry emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever.”

The campaign includes ten powerful mini documentaries on businesses or social enterprises that will be featured in coming months, shared on the #FoodHeroScot website and spotlighted through a media campaign delivered by STV, as part of their Green Fund commitment.

To find out more about supporting positive recovery of the industry or for more details on how to nominate businesses in the food and drink sector, visit:

www.foodheroscot.co.uk

To find out more about Steampunk and their efforts to promote sustainability and to contact them directly, please visit their website: https://www.steampunkcoffee.co.uk

Updated guidance for hospitality

Drinking, Dining and Dancing without face masks will be permitted from Monday 9^th August.

There is no requirement to wear a mask while eating or drinking, whether seated or standing. The Government are encouraging the use of table service where possible, but this is not a requirement.

The mandatory collection of customer contact details will remain in place.

A copy of the newly updated guidance is available here.

CLARITY ON ‘VERTICAL DRINKING’

SCOTLAND’S licensed hospitality trade received confirmation yesterday that “vertical drinking” in licensed premises will be permitted from Monday.

Colin Wilkinson, managing director of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA), attended a meeting on Wednesday with the Scottish Government and other industry groups at which officials provided clarity following ‘confusing messages’ from Deputy First Minister John Swinney on BBC Radio Scotland.

Mr Wilkinson said: “It is absolutely crucial to have this clarified. Mr Swinney’s comments were both unhelpful and misinformed.”