Community News

18.04.13: CFL brands receive FreeFrom Food awards

CFL brands receive FreeFrom Food awards CFL is delighted to announce that 3 of its exclusive brands have won 8 awards across 3 categories at the prestigious FreeFrom Food Awards 2013.

Products from Sanchi, Orgran and Le Pain des Fleurs all won awards – no mean feat considering over 340 products entered the FreeFrom Food Awards this year!

Raw foods and superfoods category

Winner: Orgran Multigrain Crispibread with Quinoa
Judge’s comments: ‘These are so tasty – such an amazing alternative to oat cakes, rice cakes and corn cakes. Lovely crunch, light texture, great flavour but not so strong that it masks the flavour of the topping.’

Grocery ambient/store cupboard category

Winner: Sanchi Tamari Soy Sauce
Judge’s comments: ‘Really excellent tamari. Deep, rich strong flavour. A great winner as it will give a boost to the use of tamari in mainstream catering where wheat-based ‘soy sauce’ is indigenous. Would open up a whole range of previously forbidden foods to coeliacs.’

Highly Commended: Orgran Buckwheat Pancake Mix
Judge’s comments: ‘Very nice light pancake mix – pleasant buckwheat/wheat taste. Great store cupboard product.’

Highly Commended: Orgran No Egg Natural Egg Replacer
Judge’s comments: ‘Incredibly useful, reliable product for baking egg free. Even the marshmallowy meringue which was made with it tasted pretty good – egg free baked Alaska?’

Commended: Sanchi Instant Miso Soup
Judge’s comments: ‘Tasty and enjoyable with plenty of seaweed. Proper miso flavour.’

Savoury biscuits and snacks

Highly commended: Le Pain des Fleurs Organic Chestnut Crispbread
Judge’s comments: ‘Nice crisp bread – great to see that there are only three ingredients! Very pleasant light chestnut flavour – innovative product – lovely and crisp. Would be good on its own or as a base.’

Commended: Le Pain des Fleurs Organic Buckwheat Crispbread
Judge’s comments: ‘Hard and crunchy – a good Ryvita substitute. A crisp nutty flavour – great as a base for cheese or with a spread.’

Commended: Le Pain des Fleurs Organic Quinoa Crispbread
Judge’s comments: ‘Good to see quinoa being used in this context although not sure it really needed the added sugar. But nuttily crisp – good on its own or as a base.’

A team of 50 expert judges tested freefrom products across 15 categories for the awards, which have been instrumental in driving new product development and improving the quality and choice of freefrom foods that are available. The freefrom sector in the UK is currently valued at £240 million and expected to grow to £519 million by 2016 – a year on year growth of 15.5 %.(Kantar World Panel).

Commenting on the results Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, editor of FoodsMatter who chairs the judging sessions said: “There were many dishes that were free from a number of allergens, yet tasted and looked as good as any conventional product and we recognise that to achieve this takes significant skill and investment from the food industry.”

Tracy Kane, Community Foods Brand Manager said: “We are delighted to have won so many awards across so many categories. The recognition that we bring excellent quality, tasty freefrom products to the market is really important to us. The FreeFrom Awards have really grown in stature over the years, and we will be using the accolades we have won this year to promote both our products, and the whole freefrom category.”

Download More Information (236Kb PDF).

09.04.13: CFL Packing Facility relocates & upgrades

CFL Packing Facility relocates & upgrades Community’s pre-packs operation is moving from its current premises in Finsbury Park, London to a new facility in Witham, Essex.

Formerly known as Day Plus One, the Community Foods pre-packs operation relocates in April 2013 and enables Community to move into the 21st century with a purpose built facility. Boasting 20,000 sq ft of space with a further 1,000 sq ft of engineering workshop, it replaces the existing cramped premises.

Community’s new manufacturing site will be BRC accredited and Soil Association certified, and combines operational improvements with investments in fully automated state of the art packing lines.

• Line Equipment and Rovema VFFS (vertical form fill and seal) machines
• Yamato and Ishida CCWs (computer controlled weighers)
• LOMA metal detection and checkweighing systems
• Fully database controlled, integrated and networked on-line printing and label applications

The investment affords Community a great amount of capacity and flexibility to produce Stabilo/Quad seal bags, Pillow pack bags and BBGT (block bottom gable top bags) – as well as retain the Soaked Fruit and Bottling Plant operations that are primed with space for future expansion and growth.