FFB around the world: September update

New listings

• Following the Swiss Roadshow , Gourmet’s Choice have secured their first order from Hilton Hotels, Metzgerei Angst, Swissotel and Delicarna.
• Dormen Foods have notched up another hotel, Hilton Hotels, following the Swiss Roadshow.
• FFB Nordic are introducing the first Premier Foods products to buyers in Sweden and Denmark and their products are well received. Roses Marmalade, Branston Baked Beans and Spaghetti Hoops are among the products that are showing great appeal to buyers.
• Daniel’s Chilled Foods’ range of smoothies and juices in HEMA, the Netherlands’ best-known department store, has been extended.
• Linwoods have added two new products to the range that they sell through their Spanish distributor: Goji berries and Goji berry and flax seed mix. The products are currently sold to health food shops in Spain.

Meeting the buyer

• FFB Nordic are introducing buyers to Fredericks Dairies’ Smoothie Ice Cream under the Del Monte brand and proposing the brand’s introduction via “in-and-out” promotions (short-term, heavily discounted promotions of products not listed in stores, which can lead to listings if the product proves popular).
• FFB Spain have arranged talks with a number of UK companies to discuss private label opportunities.Buyers from C1000, the number two supermarket chain in the Netherlands, visited the UK with FFB the Netherlands. They were shown stores, chains and producers.
• French distributor Fresh Food Village will be visiting the UK in October with a view to sourcing suppliers for its UK-themed ‘Regent’s Park’ range.

PR and promotions

• Seven pages of excellent coverage were secured in key German trade magazine Lebensmittelzeitung’s GB Special issue, which came out prior to ANUGA. FFB Germany arranged a programme of visits and interviews for the Lebensmittelzeitung journalists.
• Noon will be running a promotion with FFB Belgium during the Diwali festival. A 1 ½ page editorial will offer the opportunity to win a trip to Britain to celebrate Diwali and then write a report for the magazine. Runners up will receive Diwali packages with candles, a Noon cookbook and Indian products. Delhaize is supporting the Diwali festival by dedicating a page in their weekly “shopping guide” to Indian products during the Diwali festival. Noon will feature in this shopping list.
• FFB Germany accompanied a journalist on a media trip to see Welsh lamb from farm to counter. The articles will be published in the pre-ANUGA issue of afz – Allgemeine Fleischer Zeitung.
• A six-page report on English meat will appear in German meat magazine Fleischmagazin on 10 October. It was decided to continue with this despite the export ban.
• Quorn is preparing for Autumn PR activity in Sweden using a Swedish celebrity (and former Eurovision competitor!) who will promote the product in recipes, adverts, interviews and associated PR.
• FFB France’s annual embassy cocktail took place on 5 September. FFB France awarded its Innovation Award, sponsored by SDI, at the reception.
  1st prize was awarded to the importer Triomphe, for JLM Global Food’s Crispo brand of soya crisps.
  Joint 2nd prize was awarded to Jordans France for their “Jordans Duo” (new fruit-based and chocolate-based cereal) and to the importer IBB for Extreme Drinks’ water, Aqua Still.
  The Special Scottish prize was awarded to “La Maison du Whisky” for Balblair 1997 single malt whisky.

The retail market

• Albert Heijn, the largest supermarket chain in the Netherlands, are boycotting Coca-Cola’s 1.5l bottles in a price dispute. Coca-Cola want a higher price than Albert Heijn are offering. The dispute is an example of the supermarket price war hotting up and may indicate that suppliers are no longer willing to be dictated to by the supermarkets.
  

01 October 2007