The Grocer Eggs0001

8/14/2019 The Grocer Eggs0001

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www_ t heg ro cer_co_uk ! 14Feb rua ry 2 00 9 I The Grocer! 3Str.. For m or e fr esh foo d new s pl us e -ma il~ al erts, for um s an d o th er fea tu res go to our

ne w w ebsite www. thegr ocer.co .uk

E C o v e r s ig h t c o u ldf o r c e e g g s t o c a r r yh ig h s a t f a t w a r n in gAnneBruceEggs may be branded "highin saturated fats" due to anoversight in ECplans forfoods that make nutritionand health claims.If eggs claim they are

high in protein, for exam-ple, underthe ECproposalsthis would have to be quali-fied by carrying the satu-rated fat warning, saidBritish Egg IndustryCouncil chief executiveMark Williams.The issue emerged as the

fine print of a proposed ECnutrient profiling regimewas released. The egg in-dustry, supported by theUKFood Standards Agency,is now lobbying Brusselsfor a rethink"The FSAhas written to

the European Commission-

ECpropo sa ls w o uld b ra ndeggs as h ig h in s atu ra ted fa ter putting the case for eggsto be reconsidered,"Williams said.The issue revolves

around the food group theECclassifies eggs under.The European Food SafetyAuthority has created foodgroups to determine thelevel of saturated fat aproduct may contain beforeit is necessary to carry a

warning. Foods in the meatgroup, for example, maycontain sg of saturated fatper lOOg,and those in thecheese group 109.Eggs, which have 3.2gofsatfat per lOOg,have been

placed in a default 'other'group that allows only 2gof satfat, Williams said."Lobbying is at fever

pitch in Brussels at the mo-ment by manufacturerswanting to get their prod-ucts moved into differentcategories," he added."It is frustrating, as with

eggs you have the perfectcase, yet we are just beingcaught in the crossfire."The Ee's Standing

Committee on the FoodChain and Animal Healthworking group is due todiscuss the plans on 20February and 27 March.

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3.02.1 4.123.8 -12.1 0.79-5.8 49.3 0.7317.8 3.6 2.531.8 10.6 0.36

15.9.1 0.93o 64.3 10.57

o-0.3 25.5-2.4 17.0 17.31

14.9.7 8.8738.2.7 1.41

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In addition, it will look at theway it serves customers,McMeikan adds. "Our loyal cus-tomers know we make sand-wiches fresh every day, andknow if the product is not there,they can ask one of our staff tomake it.Weneed to get that mes-sage across to everyone."The tea and coffee offer is alsobeing investigated. 'We will offergreat-tasting coffee, but cheaperthan the competition - not 2, say1.20,"he says. "Iam able tobringa lot from my background insupermarkets and conveniencestores. I understand how aworld-class centralised business likeTesco operates, listens and reactsto customers in awaythat is con-sistent across the whole estate,"he says.Sounds like McMeikan plansto keep Greggs top of thebakery retail tree for some timeto come. DJ

News in s ig h t I Top 50

Gre g g s p o we rh o u s eCan the man at the helm of Britain'sleading bakery retailer give it theTesco effect', with consumer-focusedpolicy and ambitious expansion plans?Anne Bruce finds out more

For now, it's all about sortingout "operational challenges".Even a business like Greggs hasroom for improvement.CompetitionAs British Baker's 2009 Top 50list shows, Greggs' top spot onthe list is under threat, as the1,284-shop chain Subway plansto overtake it on store numbersby the middle o f this year.Moreover, Greggs' businessstructure, with 10 separate divi-sions, causes complications. Atthe moment, only 30%of Greggs'range is the same nationwide,McMeikan wants that to be 80%,with 20%of the range still beingregional. "'vVewant to simplify itandmake it consistent," he says.Greggs is also convertingBakers' Oven shops to the domi-nant Greggs brand and closing its10loss-makingshops inBelgiwn,to focus on leadership in the UK

30January 2009I British Baker I 15

Tesco opened its firstTescoExpress outlet in October2002and now has 880.Notbad for six years' work.The relevance to Greggs?Well, Greggs has a new man incharge, Ken McMeikan. Hespent 14years at Tesco and wasa key figure in the glory days ofthe roll-out of its Tesco Expressformat in 2004, leaving after-wards for Sainsbury's. That'swhyMcMeikan should be takenseriously when he promises an"escalationin growth" at Greggs,already the UK's biggest takea-waychainwith1,403shops-manymore than McDonald's orStarbucks, 'We are a growthbusiness and we need to set upin a way that we can acceleratethis growth," McMeikan insists.McMeikan is in the ideal posi-tion to do that; his prudentpredecessors squirrelled mil-lions away in company coffersand the business has zero debt.Growth opportunitySowhat is the scale of his ambi-tion? The old Greggs wouldreliably open around 50 newshops a year, towards a longer-term goal of 1,700 by 2010.McMeikan takes a bolderapproach. He comments: "I haveseen a significantopportunity forgrowth in the UK We serve onemillioncustomers a day,there areover 60mpeoplein the UKThereare parts of the country that donot have a Greggs or a Bakers'Oven shop and towns and citieswhere we are under-represented.Customers loveour products, butwe need more locations."Adcling shop numbers is notdifficult,he says. In fact, the eco-nomicdownturnwillmakeit easy."I believe there is going to be anwww.bakeryawards.co.uk

((W ew ant theright shops in theright loca tions -not shops thatcannibalisee xis ting tra d e"- Ken McMeikan, MDover-supplyofbakery units avail-able on the high street in thefuture and that the rentals marketwillsoften. I don't want tosetarti-ficialtargets," he says, explainingthat location is what matters."People can be driven to acquireshops for nwnbers' sake. Wewant the right shops in the lightlocations - not shops that canni-baliseexistingtrade. Andwewantthe best deals on leases; we don'twant to lock into 10-year dealswith five-yearbreak clauses."Greggs is also planning to lookat the Irish market for the firsttime as it expands, althoughthere is "no immediate rush", hereveals. "There is significantgrowth opportunity in England,Scotland andWales, but at somepoint in the year, we will go tomeet with people on the groundin Ireland and understand theproperty market and which partsof the country are appropriate."


3/6

Can the man at the helm of Britain'sleading bakery retailer give it the'Tesco effect', with consumer-focusedpolicy and ambitious expansion plans?Anne Bruce finds out more

Tesco opened its first TescoExpress outlet in October2002 and now has 880. otbad for six years' work.The relevance to Greggs?Well, Greggs has a new man incharge, Ken McMeikan. Hespen t 14years at Tesco and wasa key figure in the glory days ofthe roll-out of its Tesco Expressformat in 2004, leaving after-wards for Sainsbury's. That'swhy McMeikan should be takenseriously when he promises an"escalation in growth" at Greggs,already the UK's biggest takea-waychainwith1,403shops-manymore than McDonald's orStarbucks. "We are a growthbusiness and we need to set upin a way that we can acceleratethis growth," McMeikan insists.McMeikan is inthe ideal posi-tion to do that; his prudentpredecessors squirrelled mil-lions away in company coffersand the business has zero debt.

Growth opportunitySo what is the scale of his ambi-tion? The old Greggs wouldreliably open around 50 newshops a year, towards a longer-term goal of 1,700 by 2010.McMeikan takes a bolderapproach. He comments: "I haveseen a significant opportunity forgrowth in the UK.We serve onemillioncustomers a day,there areover60mpeople inthe UK.Thereare parts of the country that donot have a Greggs or a Bakers'Oven shop and towns and citieswhere we are under-represented.Customers loveour products, butwe need more locations."Adding shop numbers is notdifficult, he says. In fact, the eco-nomic downturnwillmake iteasy."I believe there is going to be an

www.bakeryawards.co.uk

((Wewan t th eright shops in therig ht lo cation s -not shops thatcannibaliseexis ting trade"- Ken McMeikan, MDover-supplyofbakery units avail-able on the high street in thefuture and that the rentals marketwillsoften. I don't wanttoset arti-ficial targets," he says, explainingthat location is what matters."People can be driven to acquireshops for numbers' sake. Wewant the right shops in the rightlocations - not shops that canni-baliseexisting trade.Andwewantthe best deals on lease ;we don'twant to lock into 10-year dealswith five-yearbreak clauses."Greggs is also planning to lookat the Irish market for the firsttime as it expands, althoughthere is "noimmediate rush", hereveals. "There is significantgrowth opportunity in England,Scotland andWales, but at somepoint in the year, we will go tomeet with people on the groundin Ireland and understand theproperty market and which partsof the country are appropriate."

News in s ig h t I Top 50

For now, ifs all about sortingout "operational challenges".Even a business like Greggs hasroom for improvement,CompetitionAs British Bailer's 2009 Top 50list shows, Greggs' top spot onthe list is under threat, as the1,284-shop chain Subway plansto overtake it on store nwnbersby the middle of this year.Moreover, Greggs' businessstructure, with 10 separate divi-sions, causes complications. Atthe moment, only 30%ofGreggs'range is the same nationwide,McMeikan wants that to be 80%,with 20%of the range still beingregional. "Wewant to simplify itand make it consistent," he says.Greggs is also convertingBakers' Oven shops to the domi-nant Greggs brand and closing its10loss-makingshops inBelgium,to focus on leadership in the UK.

Gre g g s p o we rh o u s e

In addition, it will look at theway it serves customers,McMeikan adds. "Our loyal cus-tomers know we make sand-wiches fresh every day, andknow if the product is not there,they can ask one of our staff tomake it.Weneed to get that mes-sage across to everyone."The tea and coffee offer is alsobeing investigated. "Wewilloffergreat-tasting coffee, but cheaperthan the competition- not 2, say1.20,"he says. "Iamable tobringa lot from my background insupermarkets and conveniencestores. Iunderstand how aworld-class centralised business likeTesco operates, listens and reactsto customers inaway that is con-sistent across the whole estate,"he says.Sounds like McMeikan plansto keep Greggs top of thebakery retail tree for some timeto come. DJ

30 January 20091 British Baker 115


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S A L E S B O O S T E R S - ~illr

Bakery , takeaway, foodserv ice - help ing you to g ive your custom ers the best

November 2007

M AG IC M OM EN TSThe maestros at workat Bolton's Bakers' Fair

UPPING THE ANTELessons learned at thewrong end of a shotgun

EYESON PIESKeep it traditionalplease say pie punters


5/6

Eco-friendliness and healthy eating were among the themes at the showTrends shineat trade show

Portsmouth baker cleans up at awards

I was watching Gordon Ramsay 'sKitchen Nightmares recently - he wassorting out a failing seafood restaurantin Brighton. The problems? Well,two lazy, demotivated chefs, alongwith overpriced and overcooked fish- sourced from abroad even thoughthe sea was yards away. The shoplooked garish and its name, RubyTates, suggested curry not fish. Theowner, former actor Allan Love, hadhis house for sale after rernortgagingto fund the business. His responseto Gordon's tough love tactics? Tearsand tantrums. Great TV! Two monthslater, after some basic changes suchas a new locally sourced menu,refurb and restructure in the kitchen,the business was booming asanupmarket fish and chip shop calledLove's Fish Restaurant. The biggestchallenge had been making theowner accept that he didn't knowbest. There is a lesson here for allretailers - your mistakes may bemore obvious to an outsider than toyou. Gordon proved that the key tosuccess is to take advice and makechanges - you can't afford to stickin your comfort zone!

Suppliers including Heinz,wholesaler 3663 and DawnFoods were among 80exhibitors who turned out forthe first Food on the Move Showat london's ExCel last month.The two-day event showcasednew products and innovationsin sectors including coffee,soup, packaging, signage andvending machines.

Alan Massingharn, bakerymanager for the Bakers OvenSouth store in Portsmouth,won all three top prizes inthe company's recent annualin-store bakery competition.As well aswinning the

overall competition, he wonthe bread product innovation

EditorBake & Take

Trends such as healthyeating, eco-friendliness,convenience and indulgencewere reflected in productsand equipment on show,from fruit smoothies toCiocchino continental-stylesipping chocolate and frozen-food vending machinesto Barclaycard quick cardpayment technology.

award for his Greek bread,containing sultanas, pumpkin,sesame and poppy seeds, andthe sweet product innovationaward with his 'Bee Sting',a bun dough base and topfilled with custard and cream,topped with nibbed sugar.The six finalists in the

competition were judgedon the overall quality ofthe products they bake intheir stores each day, as wellas on good texture, flavour,attractive appearance,correct weight and evendistribution of fruit and filling.


6/6

Eco-friendliness and healthy eating were among the themes at the showTrends shineat trade show

Portsmouth baker cleans up at awards

I was watching Gordon Ramsay 'sKitchen Nightmares recently - he wassorting out a failing seafood restaurantin Brighton. The problems? Well,two lazy, demotivated chefs, alongwith overpriced and overcooked fish- sourced from abroad even thoughthe sea was yards away. The shoplooked garish and its name, RubyTates, suggested curry not fish. Theowner, former actor Allan Love, hadhis house for sale after rernortgagingto fund the business. His responseto Gordon's tough love tactics? Tearsand tantrums. Great TV! Two monthslater, after some basic changes suchas a new locally sourced menu,refurb and restructure in the kitchen,the business was booming asanupmarket fish and chip shop calledLove's Fish Restaurant. The biggestchallenge had been making theowner accept that he didn't knowbest. There is a lesson here for allretailers - your mistakes may bemore obvious to an outsider than toyou. Gordon proved that the key tosuccess is to take advice and makechanges - you can't afford to stickin your comfort zone!

Suppliers including Heinz,wholesaler 3663 and DawnFoods were among 80exhibitors who turned out forthe first Food on the Move Showat london's ExCel last month.The two-day event showcasednew products and innovationsin sectors including coffee,soup, packaging, signage andvending machines.

Alan Massingharn, bakerymanager for the Bakers OvenSouth store in Portsmouth,won all three top prizes inthe company's recent annualin-store bakery competition.As well aswinning the

overall competition, he wonthe bread product innovation

EditorBake & Take

Trends such as healthyeating, eco-friendliness,convenience and indulgencewere reflected in productsand equipment on show,from fruit smoothies toCiocchino continental-stylesipping chocolate and frozen-food vending machinesto Barclaycard quick cardpayment technology.

award for his Greek bread,containing sultanas, pumpkin,sesame and poppy seeds, andthe sweet product innovationaward with his 'Bee Sting',a bun dough base and topfilled with custard and cream,topped with nibbed sugar.The six finalists in the

competition were judgedon the overall quality ofthe products they bake intheir stores each day, as wellas on good texture, flavour,attractive appearance,correct weight and evendistribution of fruit and filling.

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The Grocer Eggs0001