General News
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Talk Radio Europe quizzes Angus Kennedy on his chocolate journey
13 August 2018Kennedy’s Editor, Angus Kennedy has recently returned from the US after appearing on 20 television shows following the success of his latest book, Bittersweet and is now taking over media channels in Europe. The book, which was published in the USA on 23rd July by Apollo Publishers LLC on chocolate, outlines Angus’ journey to becoming a leading chocolate expert and has sparked unprecedented interest in the USA. As a result, Angus has had extensive coverage over in America, appearing on several national shows with millions of viewers including: Fox 5’s Good Day New York, NBC’s Good Day Live, and the Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family show in LA (pictured). Many other regional channels wanted to try European chocolates with Angus, including ABC’s Tampa Bay Channel and another 20 various popular TV shows across the US, with a total audience of around 35 million. In addition, Bittersweet was featured on 12 radio shows and popular press has also been featured in Parade Magazine, which has 22 million subscribers. On his return, Angus was welcomed onto Talk Radio Europe where he spoke all about his journey to becoming a world leading chocolate taster. To hear about Angus’ fascinating journey, see below for his latest radio appearance with Presenter Jill Kenton on Talk Radio Europe.
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Nestlé opens new US headquarters
07 August 2018Nestlé has officially opened its new US headquarters in Virginia with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and culinary festival – the Nestlé Good Life Fest. The new location in Arlington, in the Rosslyn neighborhood is home to Nestlé USA’s corporate functions, its Beverage, Baking & Global Foods divisions, as well as its eBusiness team and Center for Marketing Excellence. Gerber Products Company, Nestlé USA’s sister company, will relocate to the same building next year, bringing the total number of Nestlé employees there to around 900. Commenting on the move, Steve Presley, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé USA, said: “Moving our headquarters across the country is a true catalyst for transforming our business as we create a new Nestlé. “We’re celebrating our drive to create a culture that embraces the speed, courage, agility and collaboration necessary to win in the marketplace. And relocating here to Arlington helps to fuel that drive.” Originally announced in January 2017, Nestlé’s relocation came to fruition through collaboration with state and local government officials.
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Bosch packaging reveals new online platform
02 August 2018Bosch Packaging Technology has revealed a new online information platform, which showcases its cartoning and case packaging solutions. The objective was to create a website with a user-friendly design and easy navigation, in order to get a quick portfolio overview and find a machine for every need. The website replaces the Kliklok-Woodman and Kliklok International websites and complements Bosch’s existing cartoning and case packing portfolio. Woodman bagmakers can now be found at www.boschpackaging.com/PAUS. Animated packaging on the home page illustrates the broad range of secondary pack styles handled by the Doboy, Kliklok, Sigpack, and Elematic cartoning and case packing equipment. Customers can learn about Bosch’s topload carton formers and closers, integrated topload cartoners, horizontal endload cartoners, wraparound cartoners (sleevers), product handling machines, and sideload, topload, and wraparound case packers. By clicking on the animations, visitors are guided to the right machine via a carton size range and speed comparison. If customers already know what they want, they can jump directly into the machinery section and choose a specific machine or use the search function. The website is developed with a clear structure, focusing on the main benefits of each machine, the key features, product information as well as technical specifications, accompanied by appealing machine pictures. Embedded videos complement the content by demonstrating each machine’s functions. Visitors can also download the latest brochures. To learn more about Bosch’s cartoning and case packing portfolio, www.bosch-cartoning-casepacking.com.
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A Bittersweet success
18 July 2018Kennedy’s Confection Editor, Angus Kennedy, is gaining consumer recognition as his latest book, Bittersweet is taking off in the USA Angus’ most recent book, Bittersweet: A Memoir: The Life and Times of the World’s Leading Chocolate Taster, is picking up momentum in America, with numerous media outlets seeking to grab an interview with him. Outlining his journey to becoming a leading chocolate expert, the book has sparked unprecedented interest, particularly with many TV, radio, print and digital fronts in the USA. Parade.com, which has a readership of over 54 million and one of the most widely read magazines in America, is just one outlet that has snapped up an interview, due to run a piece in their next issue on the 23rd of July. In addition to this, the book is set to be aired on one of America’s top TV shows, Today, which has 4.51 million viewers, which is expected to give the book record-breaking exposure for a debut author. Angus is also due to appear on the Hallmark Channel, which is nationally aired and filmed in L.A and popular in the US. Angus’ most recent exposure is from iNews, who have put together a report about his experience as a leading chocolate taster. Read more here: https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/food-and-drink/chocolate-taster-expert-angus-kennedy/ Speaking of this achievement, Angus said: “I kind of always knew this would happen and there have been many times in the past when I thought (this is it!) - you know the big one is here. “But I failed, then I failed and I failed again (and at most things!) for most of my life. So much so, A Bittersweet success my wife walks out the kitchen and the kids roll their eyes when I say, ‘but no really this is it!’. “‘Dad’s off again’ they say, while rejecting their broccoli (again). But I’m on the way to becoming one of the most celebrated writers on in the US. Angus goes on to say that he has been “dreaming of this moment and after more dreaming, wishing, imagining, praying, crying, laughing, cursing, waiting, giving up and starting again”, he is back to “believing the impossible”. He continued: “I woke up today, July 12th, 2018 and discover my book will be aired on America’s number one morning TV show. A cool 4.51 million viewers and all because, we love our chocolate so much? Really! I am also on countless other magazines and radio shows, including Americas biggest magazine - a few more million, I lost count. Perhaps it’s a dream? Kennedy’s Confection Editor, Angus Kennedy, is gaining consumer recognition as his latest book, Bittersweet is taking off in the USA “I am not a rich man, I am not that clever or exceptional, I am not a success or outstanding, but what I am is a positive extension of something truly greater than I am. It’s when I see this I am free. Free to live and be what we should have always been. Something we should always be. Chocolate and reading (together even) in my opinion, are the fastest way to change your opinion and set yourself free. Especially with my book - Bittersweet! Free from the version of who you were yesterday.” Julia Abramoff, Publisher of Bittersweet, is also excited with the interest the book has received. She said: “Bittersweet is off to a great start. It’s printed beautifully, and has generated a lot of excitement. In just a few weeks, Angus will head back to New York City and from here to Los Angeles to appear on the Hallmark Channel, which is nationally aired, a big deal in the US.” Julia went on to say that there are “a lot more in the works” and that the interest that the book is getting is “layered”. She continued: “People are interested in the chocolate world and the fun of it (learning how to taste chocolate, new kinds, and so forth), but also in the complex world of cocoa farming. This book is a wonderful summer read, a fresh and enlightening entrance into the world of chocolate, and I’m really looking forward to seeing it continue to shine.” Justin Loeber, whose firm, Mouth Digital, is based in New York, and is dealing with the publicity for Bittersweet, is “thrilled with the interest and ultimate bookings” that Angus has had for his book. He said: “Because of the “news-breaking” stories that hijack any and all of the media’s attention these days, it’s thrilling that Angus’s memoir will be featured in Parade. com (one of our country’s largest weekly magazines) and on NBC-TV’s Today show, which is considered the number one morning show in the USA! “Those are dream endorsements, and a true testament to the book, to Angus, and to Angus’s American publisher, Apollo (www.ApolloPublishers.com), which is headed by literary veterans Alex Merril and Julia Abramoff. Bravo to all, and here’s to everything that chocolate does for our hearts and our souls!”
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Nestlé and XPO create “digital warehouse of the future”
13 July 2018Nestlé and XPO Logistics, a global provider of transport and logistics solutions, are co-creating a 638,000-square-foot distribution centre in the UK. It is set to be based at the new SEGRO East Midlands Gateway Logistics Park in Leicestershire, UK and aims to give consumers faster, more efficient access to Nestlé brands like KitKat. The facility, “a digital warehouse of the future”, will be occupied by Nestlé for its consumer packaged goods and will function as a testbed environment for XPO technology prototypes prior to global release. The custom-designed distribution centre, due to be completed in 2020, will feature advanced sorting systems and robotics alongside state-of-the-art automation co-developed with Swisslog Logistics Automation. Nestlé Director of Supply Chain David Hix said: “We are thrilled to be working with XPO Logistics to build a flagship digital warehouse and technology laboratory at the East Midlands Gateway Logistics Park. This is a world-first investment for Nestlé that builds on a century and a half of proud history in this country. “Our partnership with XPO will encourage innovation and experimentation in our UK logistics operations and help futureproof our business. We will be able to be even more responsive for our customers across our brands, which include some of the most recognisable in the world.”
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Bosch to sell packaging business
02 July 2018Bosch has announced that after considering its” strategic options”, it will be looking for a buyer for its packaging machinery business (PA). According to the Bosch Group, this is “more specifically the pharmaceuticals and food units of the Packaging Technology division”. In a statement, the company said that packaging technology is not a part of the group’s core business. Bosch says it is certain that its packaging technology operations need to be put on a different footing that will allow them to react more flexibly to the specific requirements of the packaging machinery market. The company’s special-purpose machinery manufacturer Robert Bosch Manufacturing Solutions GmbH is a separate entity and will remain part of the Bosch Group. Dr. Stefan Hartung, the Bosch board of management member responsible for the Energy and Building Technology and Industrial Technology business sectors, said: “This decision will allow Bosch to narrow its focus on issues of importance for its future, such as the transformation of the Bosch Group and its future digitalization strategy, including the internet of things, and to pool its resources accordingly. “A reorganized packaging technology business will be able to adapt more flexibly to the diverse requirements of this typically SME market, while Bosch will be free to focus its attention entirely on the group’s impending profound transformation.”
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pladis launches Jaffa Cakes Lemon and Lime
28 June 2018Snacking company pladis has announced that it will be adding limited edition Jaffa Cakes Lemon and Lime to its range. The aim of the new product launch is to attract a younger audience by “embracing the current trend for flavour twists on favourite products”. They will be available on a limited 12-month run and will be sold in single packs only. The launch will be supported with television advertising for the Jaffa Cakes brand; entitled ‘The First Day’. The advert depicts a young woman embarking on her first day of work – with Jaffa Cakes helping her to “break the ice” with colleagues. This advert forms part of McVitie’s recently launched ‘Sweeter Together’ master brand campaign. Emma Stowers, McVitie’s Brand Director, commented: “Recent research conducted by McVitie’s showed that 92% of the nation call themselves Jaffa Cakes fans. With the addition of Jaffa Cakes Lemon and Lime to the product range, we hope to both reward loyal fans of classic orange Jaffa Cakes with a new flavour to enjoy, and entice a growing, younger audience.”
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Mondelēz invests $200 Million in Czech Biscuit Plant
25 June 2018Mondelēz International has announced that it has invested $200 million since 2014 in its Opava biscuit manufacturing facility, which produces brands like Oreo, belVita, Milka and Cadbury. The investment builds on Opava’s heritage of more than a century as a biscuit-making center and supports the company’s global growth strategy to create a best-in-class integrated supply chain and to deliver consumer-inspired quality and innovation that meet changing consumer preferences. Daniel Myers, Executive Vice President, Integrated Supply Chain, said: “The investment in our Opava plant is a great example of our global effort to build a world-class supply chain that reduces complexity and increases flexibility while being cost-conscious. “We’re focused on winning with our consumers and customers, and we’re becoming a more nimble organization as we simplify and modernize our operations and production capacity for today and the future. “By undertaking these changes, we’re making our company more efficient, creating the fuel we need to invest in our brands and our people – our most important assets – and deliver sustainable, profitable growth for our shareholders.” The Opava plant joins other Mondelēz International Sites of the Future that have opened or been upgraded over the last few years, including sites in Sri City, India; Salinas, Mexico; Bournville, United Kingdom; and, most recently, the new manufacturing facility that opened in Bahrain in April.
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Cargill invests in liquid chocolate production line
19 June 2018Cargill has invested €12 million in a new liquid chocolate production line in its Mouscron production facility in Belgium. The investment is set to increase the company’s capacity to produce milk and dark chocolate, and create up to 10 new local jobs. Cargill are set to open the production line in the last quarter of this year. The investment is a response to growing customer demand for high quality chocolates tailor-made to individual customer specifications. Inge Demeyere, managing director for Cargill’s chocolates and compound activities in Europe, said: “Indulgence is a key driver of the demand for premium chocolate. With the new production line, we will be able to better meet Belgium’s chocolate needs – and offer more quality Belgian chocolate to customers in other global markets who want to benefit from the country’s world-class reputation. At Cargill, we are fully committed to our long-term growth in the Belgian chocolate market.”
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Mondelēz acquires Tate’s Bake Shop
08 June 2018Image: Tate’s Bake Shop Mondelēz International has announced it has completed its acquisition of Tate’s Bake Shop, a premium cookie and baked goods brand. Tate’s Bake Shop is set to operate as a separate standalone business under its current management team to “nurture its entrepreneurial spirit” and “maintain the authenticity of the brand”. In a statement, Mondelēz said that Tate’s will “benefit from the unparalleled distribution channels and sales and marketing capabilities of Mondelēz International to extend its popular treats to more consumers and build upon a strong track record of profitable growth”. Dirk Can de Put, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Mondelēz, commented: “The Tate’s Bake Shop acquisition represents the type of bolt-on transaction that will leverage our strengths and drive growth and value for our shareholders. “Tate’s on-trend products complement our existing biscuits portfolio and provide access into the fast-growing premium cookie segment. We‘re excited to begin working with the Tate’s team to expand the reach of this beloved authentic brand to more consumers around the world.”
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