Observer Food Monthly features KühneObserver Food Monthly is the only dedicated food magazine amongst the Sunday newspapers. In the December edition, it included Kühne’s Great Taste Award-winning Pickled Gherkins in its “Chill into Christmas” feature. Among the product’s properties, it highlighted the crunchiness of the gherkins and the savoury infusion of fine herbs and delicate spices.

In addition to gherkins and relishes, Kühne’s range includes Red Cabbage, Sauerkraut and Crispy Fried Onions.

As I am now well established as the Company’s Grumpy Old Man, I’ve had a busy time in 2014 moaning about all the stresses and complexities of the contemporary food scene. So much that happened in 2014, for example the seismic changes in shopping habits, or food price deflation, seemed pretty alarming to me, and I couldn’t wait for 2014 to end.

And then, all of a sudden, the year redeemed itself. As a Company we had a cracking month of December. In storming past our sales target for the month, there were two especially pleasing features. The first was the strong performance of our smaller brands. These ranges do not enjoy the support of hefty promotional budgets, and thrive simply because they offer high quality and good value. RH Amar’s business was built precisely on developing small brands until they had substantial presence in the UK grocery trade.

(continued on P2)

Watch out for two new TV adverts!

Sacla’, the UK’s No. 1 pesto brand, is launching a national TV advertising campaign on 21st January.

The advert features a variety of delicious, yet simple pesto recipes, including using it to stir into pasta, spread on fish and spoon onto chicken. The advert will build awareness to drive pesto penetration, as well as encourage frequency by communicating the versatility of pesto. This is part of an increased investment for Sacla’, with £4 million brand support for 2015.

Sacla’ has an extensive range of pestos. Free-from variants of their popular Classic and Sun Dried Tomato flavours were recently added, as well as a unique Truffle Pesto.

Kikkoman, Japanese producer of the world’s leading naturally brewed soy sauce, will be launching its third UK television advert in February 2015, to coincide with the Chinese New Year. The focus will be on the versatility, quality and uniqueness of Kikkoman Soy Sauce and will also feature the delicious Teriyaki Marinade. The advert will air on national television and online video channels with a focus on high audience and food related programmes.

FINE FOOD NEWSRH AMAR • Famous For Fine Foods Winter 2015

MARKETING NEWSFollowing the introduction of new-look labels for the brand’s salad dressings, sauces and chutneys, Mary Berry’s has unveiled a new website: www.maryberrysfoods.co.uk.

The website features numerous inspirational tips on all product lines, highlighting their versatility. The launch continues the work of creating a clearer link between Mary Berry, the TV personality, and the premium products range.

Mary Berry’s launches new website

Come back 2014 – all is forgiven Henry Amar, chairman, writes:

COMPANY NEWS2 Fine Food NewsWinter 2015

(continued from P1)

Come back 2014 – all is forgiven

The second pleasing result was the

stellar performance of our house

brands. Sales of our Cooks&Co

range in December 2014 were 32%

higher than in the same month last

year, whilst sales of Mary Berry’s

Dressings, Sauces and Chutneys,

by a similar comparison, rose by a

staggering 63%.

So although I now view 2014

through rose-tinted spectacles, I

do rather agree with the remark

of George Burns, who said that

he paid little heed to the past,

preferring to concentrate on the

future, because that is where he

would be spending the rest of his

life. The trouble is that 2015 has

started with even more problems

than we faced last year. On the

international scene there are

political tensions in Ukraine and

across the Middle East, economic

problems in the European

Community and Russia, plunging

oil prices and a strengthening US

Dollar. At home we have a growing

deficit, the prospect of a quite

scary General Election, and (worst

of all) Arsenal are lying sixth in the

Premiership. What kind of a year

does all this suggest?

Anyway, before I start moaning

again, let me wish all readers of Fine

Food News a happy and prosperous

New Year.

Praise for Paul from PMAs readers of Fine Food News will be aware, Douglas Silas has Cerebella Ataxia, an incurable and deteriorating condition, but he has cycled thousands of miles in his specially built recumbent trike whilst attached to Paul Tuhrim’s bicycle. Paul and Douglas have raised £125,000 for Norwood, a charity that supports those with special education needs and learning disabilities. This autumn, Paul took Douglas on a 150 mile mountain ride in the Golan in Northern Israel on the border of Syria and Lebanon, and raised a further £17,000 for the charity.

In September, Paul was nominated for the UK Volunteer of the Year award at the 3rd Sector (Charity) awards annual dinner. Unfortunately he didn’t win it, but his charitable work has been recognised by Prime Minister, David Cameron.

In November, the Prime Minister was the guest speaker at the Norwood Annual Dinner, held at the Grosvenor House on Park Lane, London. Paul and Douglas had a personal meeting with Mr Cameron before the dinner because they were to be the focus of part of his speech to the 1200 guests. In his speech he talked about volunteers that “make a difference”, and chose to focus on Douglas and on Paul’s work with him. He gave Douglas a Points of Light Award which is only in the gift of the Prime Minister and which recognises outstanding individual volunteers.

Welcome to Suzanne!Suzanne Winship joined the Sales team in January as National Account Manager for Today’s, Landmark and Palmer & Harvey. She previously spent eight years at Premier Foods, first as a Regional Field Manager in the grocery sector and then as National Field Sales Manager in the wholesale sector where she looked after a team of 11 business development executives.

COMPANY NEWS 3Fine Food NewsWinter 2015

Fond farewells to MalcolmSeptember 14th 1992 was an important date in the history of RH Amar, for it was the day on which Malcolm Shergold joined the Company. His arrival was timely because in the second half of the 1980s the Company had put in place the building blocks for expansion: computerisation, our first warehouse, a national salesforce and some prestigious agencies. However, for the expansion to be effective, we needed to strengthen the logistical infrastructure of the business, and this is where Malcolm

proved his immense value.

He soon faced his first major challenge, when our then Company Secretary (who was responsible for the operational side of the business) suffered a massive and fatal stroke. Malcolm was plunged into the huge task of first stabilising and then developing our logistical operation, and this he did brilliantly, introducing clear and effective systems which would serve us well for years to come. He led his small team by example, and established close and cordial relationships with customers, suppliers and service providers alike.

The next big challenge came in the mid-1990s when we decided to upgrade our IT systems. For several weeks

the business descended into chaos, and it fell to Malcolm to work literally night and day to bring things back under control. It was a very tense time, and the successful outcome was due entirely to Malcolm’s dogged determination.

In 1996 RH Amar moved to its present site in High Wycombe and by this time the business was growing fast. Malcolm’s role became more complex and demanding, but again he rose to the challenge, making his influence felt in all aspects of Company life. Whether he was managing our team of hauliers, planning stocktakes with military precision, or teaching new skills to his staff, Malcolm was a pivotal figure within the Company. We all came to recognise his characteristics. On a bad day, when things were going wrong, there would be much growling and grinding of teeth, but behind his gruff exterior, there lay a compassionate, hard-working man of complete integrity. Many past and present members of the Company have reason to thank Malcolm for his kindness, understanding and guidance.

Now, after 22 years devoted service to RH Amar, Malcolm is taking well-earned retirement. For my part, I shall always be grateful for his outstanding contribution to the success of the Company. I am proud and fortunate to have had Malcolm Shergold as a friend and colleague. We shall all remember him with affection and respect, and we wish him a long and happy retirement.

Henry Amar

Survive or thrive?Rob Amar, Managing Director, writes:

During my 14 years in the family business, I cannot remember a January during which our industry did not collectively predict, sometimes with a heavy sigh: “This year’s going to be a lot more challenging than last year.” It always happens, and on the whole we seem to get through it, ready to share the same sentiment the following January.

2014 was certainly one of the more challenging years in the past decade, and I am sure 2015 won’t be any easier. So during RH Amar’s 70th anniversary year, should we be thinking survival (pessimism with a touch of realism), or looking to thrive (optimism without the media hype)?

If our business were concentrated in a small number of shrinking categories, or confined to a small customer base, perhaps my instinct would be to withdraw into survival mode.

But I look at our brand portfolio and see opportunity. The things that give me (cautious) optimism are the very same things that allow us to provide a great service and add real value for our customers – a broad portfolio of fine foods from more than 50 suppliers; a blend of imported and UK brands; a mix of product ranges for retail, convenience and foodservice; a wealth of expertise and insight. All supported by our people, passionate about fulfilling our purpose “to make life taste better”, and dedicated to doing a great job for customers and brand owners every day.

So I wish you well for the adventure ahead that will be 2015, and for your business to thrive, not just survive.

4Fine Food NewsWinter 2015

Tel: +44 (0) 1494 530200 Fax: +44 (0) 1494 472076Email: info@rhamar.com Website: www.rhamar.com

Ella’s Kitchen has expanded its already strong First Tastes fruit based range with three vegetable based products.

The notion behind the extension is that, whilst babies naturally have a sweet tooth, it is important to begin weaning with vegetable flavours. This helps the process of developing a healthy relationship with food, and teaches the baby that not all foods are sweet.

The First Tastes range offers five fruit flavours plus the new Carrot, Parsnip and Sweet Potatoes varieties. In 2014, Sweet Potatoes won a Gold award in the Best Toddler/Baby Snack category of the Loved by Parents Awards.

RANGE EXTENSIONS

FINE FOOD NEWS

Turnpike Way, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP12 3TF, UK

Taylor & Colledge unveils innovative pastes

Taylor & Colledge – award-winning vanilla expert since 1897 – has bolstered its home baking offering with a new range of high quality flavoured extract pastes in squeezy tubes.

The natural and concentrated pastes deliver the ingredient’s true flavour and aroma without adding additional liquid. They provide a convenient and no mess solution for all budding bakers.

Available in Almond, Coconut, Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint and Vanilla flavours, they are preservative-free (no propylene glycol), GMO-free and gluten-free.

The flavour and essences market has enjoyed rapid growth – sales excluding vanilla were up 180% year on year1 – while the squeezy tube taps into the demand for convenient ingredient formats that offer improved portion control and versatility.

The 40g tubes (50g for the Vanilla Paste) are perfect for when recipes call for more than one flavour, and allow home bakers to personalise dishes to their individual tastes.

1 AC Nielsen Total Market 52 week ending 19 April 2014

New Luxury Mayonnaise from Mary Berry’sIn 2015 Mary Berry’s will be adding a Luxury Mayonnaise and a Luxury Herb Mayonnaise to its range. These are based on original family recipes and made with quality ingredients, including free range eggs. They have a lovely thick, creamy texture and contain no artificial colours, flavourings or preservatives. The mayonnaises are perfect for sandwiches, wraps and salads.

MARKETING NEWS

Ella’s Kitchen helps babies to like vegetables