Delicattesen

Screenshot_2015-11-24-11-09-46 (2)The British Retail Consortium and  The Food and Drink Federation have released a guidance document advising retailers, producers and authorities on how to make a ‘free-from’ claim on a product in order to regulate free-from allergen claims on food and drink packaging.

Currently there are no specific rules at either UK or EU level governing the use of ‘free-from’. This guidance will help business operators know when and how to label and also provides an overview of relevant UK and EU legislation. It will also give help with the key things to be  considered with regard to appropriate manufacturing practices and also when carrying out a risk assessment.

The guidance can be viewed here

IMG_8869Eight stallholders at Dumfries Farmers’ Market benefited from a visit from The Shop Doctor in May to help identify opportunities to improve their visual merchandising.  The stalls visited were A Bee Provided (honey products), Annanwater (lamb, hogget and mutton), Barlochan Highland Beef, Buy Heck! (preserves), Dessert Me, Galloway Chillies, Garrocher Market Garden and The Little Bakery.

Each stall was identified as having specific challenges.  A list of bespoke recommendations was formulated and included within a comprehensive report supplied to each of them.

The recommendations included items relating to the positioning of the stalls, presentation of each stall and the products within it, marketing material, signage, and customer service.

It is hoped that the reports will help generate improved awareness of the opportunity to better engage customer interest within a farmers’ market environment.

 

HawksVisiting the Farm Shop and Deli Show on Tuesday March 25th provided an excellent opportunity for our Shop Doctor to meet with many of the excellent local food and craft producers exhibiting at the NEC.

The show was running alongside The National Convenience ShowFood & Drink Expo and Foodex.

In addition to the diverse range of food producers, exhibitors included a range of suppliers supporting the retail sector.  The interest of The Shop Doctor was particularly drawn to the following:

EcoBags – custom made Jute, Non-Woven, Cotton and Cooler Bags – www.ecobags.co.uk
The Menu Shop – much more than just menus – www.menushop.co.uk
Gadsby – wicker and wooden products – www.gadsby.co.uk
Artyfarty Designs – fun but practical accessories – www.artyfartydesigns.co.uk
Linkshelving ltd – rustic display equipment – www.linkshelving.com
Baro Lighting U.K Ltd – interesting and very effective range of retail lighting – www.baro.co.uk
Reward-IT Ltd – loyalty and gift card systems – www.loyaltycardsystems.co.uk
Kingscroft – creative, practical packaging – www.kingscroftlogistics

Certainly worth taking a look at their websites.