Kitchen iQ is a collection of tools designed to help bakers and foodservice professionals avoid common food safety pitfalls and offers easy to implement solutions.

The Kitchen iQ has six categories:

• Food labelling
• Food temperatures
• Food-borne illnesses
• Common violations
• Inspection preparation
• Virtual kitchen

Says Greg Fitchett, Director of Sales, DayMark UK: “This is a great new innovation to help keep our customers’ premises safe.  Kitchen iQ will help them identify potential problem areas and enable them to identify the correct product to use in any give situation.  As it’s right there on your phone, it couldn’t be easier to use.”

To obtain the new Kitchen iQ ap, go to: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kitchen-iq/id371283529?mt=8

The HPA study revealed that more than half of the cloths used in commercial kitchens were found to contain unsatisfactory levels of bacteria – a sign of poor hygiene and cross contamination.  The recommended advice is for commercial kitchen to use disposable cloths that are changed regularly – but only one third of establishments are doing this.

Says Greg Fitchett, Director of Sales DayMark UK: “We’re all familiar with the soggy dish cloth in the home sink, but it’s time it was banished for ever from commercial kitchens.    Unhygienic dish cloths and cleaning cloths are putting lives at risk – according to the HPA research E-coli was found on one in six cloths tested.    Our new Clinell anti-microbial product range,  launched this summer with partner Steroplast Healthcare,  has been clinically proven to be totally effective against all superbugs including those commonly found in foodservice applications such as E-coli and Salmonella.”

Clinell wipes enable chefs and operators to implement the highest standards of hygiene in their kitchens, reducing risk to staff and customers.

The Clinell range of infection control products for the foodservice sector includes Wipes, Hand and Surface Sanitiser and Disinfectant Sprays.

For further details about DayMark’s Clinell range of infection control products please contact: DayMark UK – 0800 783 7933 or [email protected]

*http://www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2010PressReleases/100915dirtondishcloths/

Comments Andrew: “Over recent years market for espresso machines in  the UK was centered on  the middle ground.  We are typically a cautious nation and tend to plump for something in the middle.  But over the last 18  months – since the credit crunch really hit – we’ve seen sales polarise distinctly between the top and bottom of the market – with the middle unusually quiet.

Whilst its not surprising that the entry level machine segment is thriving as costs are squeezed, what has surprised us is how buoyant the top end of the market is.  We believe that buyers have migrated either way for a number of reasons.   Those who are new to the retail coffee business and are opening new businesses have migrated towards the lower end of the spectrum as they are chasing value for money – our Capri machine is selling very well because you get a lot of machine for your money.

Those who are replacing a machine are in established businesses and are more likely to be reaping the benefits of the strength of the retail coffee sector with more people treating themselves to a coffee than a ‘proper’ lunch out.  These segment has migrated up the scale, making longer term investments with a eye for growth.  We’ve seen this through strong sales of our highly spec’d Verona TCS machines.   Although these machines are relatively expensive, they are the heart and sole of a great coffee business and worth every penny spent on them. Sales are strong as more baristas and operators recognise their benefits.

Jose Melim, from Lazy Jose’s Café in Bath says: “The Verona TCS was the obvious choice when I came to buy my latest machine,  It’s my magic box; it’s simply lovely to look at, lovely to use and can be relied upon to do a great job, it all just comes together with the TSC system.”

SanRemo is one of Italy’s leading coffee machine producers with an outstanding track record of manufacturing beautifully designed, high quality, reliable and easy to use machines.

For more information on the full range of SanRemo machines and grinders go to www.sanremouk.com or call 01364 644445.

According to the latest Which? Survey (August 2010) 70% of consumers would be less likely to visit a restaurant if they knew it had a low rating.

DayMark is the leading supplier of quality foodservice safety products in the UK and The Safer Food System is the only interactive, online food safety management system training programme accredited by the Government’s Scores on the Doors programme.

Through the collaboration customers will be able to access, free of charge, the first three levels of The Safer Food Systems training – enough for a caterer to make a start in implementing a HACPP compliant food safety management system and prove due diligence to their local Environmental Health Officer.

Explains Greg Fitchett, Sales Director of DayMark UK: “This is a new trading partnership to bring high quality food safety management system training to our customers and potential customers. The training programme complements our product portfolio and this e-resource gives caterers everything they need to comply.”

Nick Eastwood, Director of The Safer Food System adds: “What makes this programme different is that there is no need to go to College to get the training – it can be done in bite sized chunks as and when it’s possible for the caterer to fit it in.  All tutorial sessions are filmed and every required form and help guide is provided – so we believe uptake will be very encouraging.  We’re delighted to get together with DayMark and we’re confident that once DayMark has introduced users to the first three levels they will recognise the benefits of the system and want to purchase further levels. Having a food safety system is not an option – it’s a legal requirement – and those who do it well will be rewarded with increased business.”

For more information and to find out how to access the first three levels free, please go to www.thesaferfoodsystem.com or call 0115 972 0748

Steam Pan Liners can significantly reduce the annual cost of both food and labour – an average restaurant using 50 pans a day could save £9,982.50 a year using DayMark liners!*

Each pan liner also saves valuable time by eliminating the process of scraping and soaking pans and is HACCP compliant for both storage and cooking.  Greg Fitchett, Sales Director for Daymark UK says: “We estimate that our customers save on average 15-20 minutes each day in dishwashing time because they no longer have to scrape the pan”.

Steam Pan Liners are reusable meaning food can be cooked, stored, chilled and reheated in the same Liner.

DayMark offers the following tips to get the best out of its Liners:

• Place one cup of water in the bottom of the pan to create a vapour barrier then place the pan liner in proper pan size
• Place food into the pan on the pan liner
• Then cook, heat, steam or microwave
• At the end of the shift, discard left over food or store in the pan liner for the next day with proper date coding
• When food is gone, discard the pan liner and easily clean the pan

DayMark Steam Pan Liners come in numerous different sizes and are available now. For more information about this range of products please contact:  DayMark UK: 0800 783 7933    [email protected]

* DayMark UK calculations

This new promotion offers additional value for customers as it stretches the promotional period throughout the winter season and beyond the festive period.

“It’s a very popular offer with our customers which we have developed and extended for 2010.  It’s our way of saying thank you to our customers for doing business with us and enables them to have a treat on us.” commented Chris Creed Managing Director of Gloucestershire-based Creed Foodservice.

The promotion runs until 30^th December.   Customers simply place orders as normal and any items in the promotion will add a points value to their account.  Accumulated points are indicated on normal invoices and redemptions are made on the claims form in the promotional brochure – claims must be made before 31^st January 2011.

For further information about the ‘Now That’s What We Call Winter’ promotion, or to obtain a copy of the promotion brochure, contact Creed Foodservice on 01452 858190 or visit www.creedfoodservice.co.uk

Whitecross School in Lydney, Gloucestershire, approached Creed with the idea of free fruit for a week for all pupils, and Creed delivered!

Juliet Gardner, Market Trader for Creed Foodservice, says, ‘The kitchen staff came to me with the idea of encouraging all pupils to eat more fruit at school, but especially those new to secondary school in Year 7. I thought it was a great idea and decided to support them with free fruit for a week donated by Creed.’

The free fruit included apples, oranges, pears, bananas, nectarines and peaches, and the staff have been delighted by how popular it’s been. Whitecross’ Restaurant Manager, Nikki Harris, has also encouraged members of staff to dress up as fruit to promote the idea. She says, ‘I wanted to really go for it and everyone has been so great helping to organise everything, especially Juliet, without her we wouldn’t have been able to do it.’

To make sure nothing is wasted any left over fruit is put to good use in desserts made from scratch in the kitchen. ‘We don’t waste anything if we can help it and with all this fresh fruit around we made some lovely desserts for lunches like crumbles and fruit salads.’ adds Nikki.

Headteacher David Gaston says, ‘The way the staff and Creed have organised this week has been brilliant and I’m really pleased how the students have taken to it. It just goes to show that getting good food from a good supplier makes all the difference to the food you serve and how much the kids enjoy it.’

And for Juliet, she’s hoping the ideas will keep coming – ‘It’s great when customers come to us with creative ways to liven up their menus and I’m looking forward to working with Nikki and the team at Whitecross School to help develop so more in the future!’

The trade show enables customers from restaurants, hotels, schools, colleges and care homes across the region to ‘try before they buy’.  All areas of the Creed portfolio were represented, from fresh bread, cakes and seasonal fruit and vegetables to delicious sausages, fresh meats, beverages and ambient products.

Says Chris Creed: “The Taste of Christmas trade show is one of the highlights of our year, enabling us to meet both customers and suppliers in a relaxed and friendly environment.  Our customers are able to taste new products and discuss new ideas – all under one roof.  The show helps them with their seasonal menu planning so that they know they have made the right choices for their business.”

Customers attending the trade show were the first to sign up for the new Creed seasonal promotion ‘Now That’s What we Call Winter’ where customers collect points for redemption against selected lines. This year’s promotion is the biggest yet and the season has been extended to cover the whole of winter, not just the festive season.  Points are carried across more product lines than ever before.

Adds Chris Creed: “The Show was a great success and we attracted more customers than ever before. Our new Sales Director Andrew Stedman was able to meet a number of our key customers and also get to know some of our key suppliers.”

The Creed trade show is one of a series of event undertaken by the Staverton based business, which are designed to match suppliers with customers.  Other events over the year include supplier ‘Speed Dating’ and Golf Days.

Its distinctive flavour of pure apple juice, with nothing added except a hint of winter spices including cinnamon and cloves, is truly evocative of the festive season and it’s an ideal alcohol-free alternative to mulled wine.  A delicious and versatile 100% natural soft drink made from pure juice, not concentrate, without any added sugar, water or preservatives, the Apple and Cinnamon Juice can also be served as a healthy alternative to tea and coffee but is also delicious when added to mulled wine or served warm with winter Pimms.

Available in handy individual 250 ml bottles, 750ml bottles and a 3 litre ‘bag in a box’, the Apple and Cinnamon juice is part of the range of eight fruity flavours from Bensons Totally Fruity.  Each 750ml bottle contains the juice of 15 apples, and additional varieties include Apple and Raspberry, Apple and Elderflower, and Apple and Cranberry.

“The recent surge in demand for high quality and additive-free drinks shows that consumers are becoming much more sophisticated and looking for tasty, exciting and healthy alternatives to alcohol and the more traditional soft drinks,” comments Alexia Benson, director of Bensons Totally Fruity.

Bensons Totally Fruity juices feature bold, contemporary labelling for strong on-shelf presence, and can be stored at ambient temperatures for up to 12 months.  All are available nationwide or can be ordered online.

For further information about Bensons Totally Fruity juices call 01451 844134 or visit www.bensonsapplejuice.co.uk

Malmo Airlines Brandbuilder

Malmö Aviation, one of the leading domestic flight companies in Sweden, has found an innovative way to reduce waste using Solo Cup’s Brandbuilder™ bespoke printed hot paper cups.

According to the airline, it is using approximately 50% less food packaging on its daytime flights – by using the cups as ‘more than a cup’.

The 10z  Malmö Aviation branded paper hot cups each contain a sandwich, a stirrer and napkins sealed in a flowpack bag, enabling the airline to dispense with the traditional box and disposables.

Initially, the airline has introduced the new meal service format on its daytime flights between 9.00hrs and 15.00hrs – flying more than 750,000 people every year between these hours.   Malmö Aviation provides a complimentary meal or snack on all of its services.

Magnus Karlsson, Managing Director of Pac Production said: “Our customer is delighted both with the design of the striking paper hot cups and the reduction in waste that they are achieving.  It’s great to see a business thinking creatively to help reduce unnecessary packaging.”

Adds Tony Waters, Managing Director of Solo Cup Europe: “We’re hoping that more airlines will follow the lead of Malmö Aviation – the potential reduction in waste packaging is huge!”

For further information about Solo Cup Europe’s BrandBuilder™ service and to request samples, visit Solo Cup Europe or call 01480 459413.