Monthly Archives: November 2020

Food & Drink

A fledgling Welsh microgreens company is spreading its wings into England

A Crickhowell based company producing the increasingly popular nutritious microgreens has found a gap in the market in the south east of England. Dragon Microgreens are now supplying a number of top restaurants in Brighton after they had to look for new customers when their business had to close in the March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Microgreens are the seedlings of leafy herbs and plants that are harvested before they grow to full size. It’s easy to see why they have become a must-have ingredient as they are a simple way to get your five-a-day.

As lockdown hit, the owners Jamie and Nick had to cease operations immediately and the future looked bleak. However, as a new small business that has been supported by the Welsh Government’s NutriWales Cluster group and the Controlled Environment Agriculture Special Interest Group, they were determined to find a solution, as Jamie Walker, Co-founder and Company Secretary explains:

“We are very fortunate to be able to vertically farm our microgreens on our farm in the Brecon Beacons, using fresh mountain spring water with organic compost and soils, plus plenty of love, to produce the tastiest and freshest microgreens available. 

“Having been proven to have up to 40 times the nutritional value of average fully grown vegetables, microgreens are gaining popularity as recent studies have shown their health benefits, therefore we began our microgreens business just over a year ago.

“However, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck our business closed overnight. We suddenly had to look for new clients to sell our products to and to be able to begin operations again.

“We worked hard cold-calling restaurants in the affluent south east of England and it paid off. So since the end of August we have started a weekly delivery service to 10 restaurants in Brighton, including the prestigious Salt Room Restaurant in the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel. With the number of orders multiplying rapidly we aim to increase our customer base further and are now concentrating on finding customers in Wales.”

Dragon Microgreens grow various microgreens including coriander, broccoli, basil, amaranth, kale, radish, sunflower plus rarer ones like shiso. Jamie and his partner Nick are excited by the positive feedback they regularly receive from the outlets and restaurants:

“Microgreens have an amazing taste and are a fantastic source of nutrients to add to dishes. These products grow well in our controlled environment unit, plus the restaurants love them, sometimes even changing recipes according to availability. Some restaurants have never used them before but with great flavours and reasonable prices they are now including them on their menus on a regular basis.

“With help from the Welsh Government’s NutriWales Cluster we are getting back on our feet. The virtual workshops and events have been invaluable, and we have learnt so much.”

With a van now purchased, Jamie and Nick are now focussing on Wales and securing new business locally. They are also working on franchise models for those interested in growing their own, which will help provide job opportunities and provide a source of healthy ingredients for communities.

Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said:

“Dragon Microgreens is a great example of a recent, small start-up business which is now using the help available to get back on their feet after the COVID-19 lockdown earlier this year.

“Being part of a cluster development group can provide food and drink businesses like Dragon Microgreens with insight and intelligence in the market space where food, health, nutrition and well-being converge.

“The clusters harness expertise at Welsh universities, public health and the food centres to stimulate collaborative research, innovation and product development, and assist with access to new markets.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for the whole of the Welsh economy, but with the support that Government is providing we hope to help as many food and drink businesses as possible through the outbreak.”

For more information about Dragon Microgreens and their product range visit: https://dragonmicrogreens.co.uk/.

For more information on COVID-19 support for Business from the Welsh Government visit:

https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice/

And information for Welsh food and drink businesses on different Welsh Government cluster groups:

https://businesswales.gov.wales/foodanddrink/growing-your-business/clusters

Food & Drink

Dram Disgrace – Whisky, women and sexism will address gender bias and discrimination in the whisky industry

Following on from the resounding success  of Just Festival, Edinburgh’s social justice and human rights festival which celebrated the 20th Anniversary this year, Board Member Helen Foord, CEO of ELE Global is chairing the first online event, continuing essential dialogue around important cultural conversations and issues in our world.

The Just Platform is a series of events, and the first will be Dram Disgrace on 26th of November, examining sexism in the whisky industry, following the incident in September, which made the drinks world stand up and take notice. Our Whisky co-founder Becky Paskin condemned the sexist language used to describe whiskies by one of the most well-known critics, Jim Murray in his new book Whisky Bible.

As a result, Whisky Bible was delisted from many retailers. Importantly, this took the subject of discrimination in the whisky industry onto a digital and social media platform.

For the first time household brands such as Glenfiddich, The Whisky Exchange, Beam Suntory and the Scotch Whisky Association came out in support of Becky’s comments, denouncing sexist language and sexism within the whisky trade.

In this panel event Helen will lead the discussion, speaking with Becky and other industry experts from William Grant, Glenrinnes Distillery amongst others, about gender bias and discrimination in the whisky industry. The panel of speakers will be sharing thoughts and discussing if this was a standalone moment, or if this is widespread problem, and where do we go from here.

Helen Foord and the team at ELE Global have volunteered their services to all Just Festival events, supporting with all of their digital communications, project management, social media and event promotion.

Helen Foord, CEO of ELE Global comments, “Dram Disgrace is a really important event and topic for the drinks industry, those interested in Scottish produce and importantly the topic of sexism in 2020.  I very much hope Dram Disgrace will help to challenge perceptions and encourage dialogue on such important issues of our time, during these uncertain times.”

For further information, or to register a place, please go to:

https://www.just-festival.org/eventbrite-event/a-dram-disgrace/

News

Only 17% of employers using video conferencing for pension surgeries despite increased home working – new survey from Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing

Research published today by Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing (Howden) suggests that the vast majority of employers are not providing employees with access to pension surgeries whilst working from home.

The survey, which was undertaken in September 2020, found that just 22% of employers were providing pension surgeries available to employees remote from the physical workplace, and only 17% were taking advantage of video conferencing technology to do so.

Steve Herbert, Head of Benefits Strategy at Howden says; “Like so many other elements of our daily and work life, pension savings and personal retirement planning may well have been impacted by the turbulence of the pandemic in recent months.  It follows that many employees will currently have some very valid concerns and questions that need to be addressed by their employer’s chosen pension experts.

Yet despite these important considerations only 1 in every 5 employers are providing access to pension surgeries for workers who are away from the physical workplace.  This is somewhat surprising since the wider world of UK business has now embraced video conferencing for so many other forms of meetings, yet apparently not for the increasingly important topic of workplace pensions.”

Howden highlight that video surgeries provide a number of advantages over the traditional method of provision in the physical workplace.  Benefits include the ability to deliver the session at a time more suitable to the employee and employer, and in an environment that provides the employee with a greater sense of privacy too.  And of course the sessions can reach even the most isolated team member as well.

The survey also found a significant divide in the level of support offered by employers to their workers on pension issues.  Whilst 40% of employers offered pension surgeries at least once every year, exactly the same number admitted to not offering any regular surgeries at all.  A small number of employers (12%) offered such support, but only on request by the employee.  Herbert continued;

“The rights to a pension scheme and employer contributions are now well established, yet many employers haven’t yet installed adequate support mechanisms to ensure that their workforce understand the pension scheme, and engage in the process of saving for their retirement.  Without such understanding many employees will find that their pension savings are nowhere near adequate to fund their retirement years, and may potentially face an impoverished retirement as a result.’’

‘’Howden would strongly encourage many more employers to actively offer pension surgeries to more of their workforce via video conferencing options, as this represents a low cost and far-reaching tool to improve engagement and understanding.  It’s fair to say that many of our corporate clients and their workers have found this to be a very useful facility during these deeply uncertain times.”

For more information, please visit this page of the Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing website.

Food and Drink, North Wales, Nursing

Sourdough success so sweet for booming artisan pizza company

A SOURDOUGH pizza business launched in lockdown by a former Queen’s Nurse and university lecturer is cooking up a storm with customers.

a pesto wood-fired sourdough pizza company has quickly grown to become one of the most popular takeaway venues in North Wales.

Based out of a street-food Airstream trailer at the Dolphin Inn, Mold, owner and pizzaiolo (pizza chef) Stephen Thorp opened for the first time in March, as the Coronavirus pandemic took hold in the UK.

Stephen is an expert in public health having lectured and published academic texts on the subject, so ensuring the safety of diners and his four-strong team of staff was paramount.

And so is quality; a pesto’s blend of authentic Italian flavours and customer service has resulted in a five-star rating on TripAdvisor and Google, as well as social media plaudits.

Demand is so high that people are being asked to order in advance – the new app is now live – and in a single four-hour weekend session they have been known to bake more than 150 pizzas.

Admitting their success took him by surprise initially, the 35 year-old is passionate about sustainable eating, proud to be a plastic-free business and says around 40% of the products they sell are vegan.

“I was advised when I told people about what I was planning to do that it risky and even crazy, which is probably why you’re hard-pressed to find authentic, freshly prepared sourdough  pizza anywhere in this region,” said Stephen, from Cadole, near Loggerheads Country Park.

“The dough is complex to work with and is a living, breathing thing. Sourdough is a swampy pot of lactic acid bacteria and wild yeasts, which rely on their baker to control the conditions in which it lives, but that challenge is part of the reason I enjoy doing it and why it’s so loved by everyone who tries it.

“That is our biggest selling point; the unique flavours and ingredients we use has drawn people in and given them something different at a time when we all need something to put a smile on our faces.”

He added: “a pesto has an identity, that traditional Neapolitan influence mixed with Welsh pride has allowed us to stand out.

“I have even named the white and rye sourdoughs we make after my late grandparents, Glyn and Doreen, as it is synonymous with sourdough baking to name each culture.”

Stephen’s journey to the world of mozzarella and margheritas came after he began to struggle with exhaustion and mental health issues.

Advised to find a new focus, something that would help him de-stress, Stephen began to develop his love of sourdough, igniting a passion inside him.

He decided to leave behind education – despite being nominated for the Royal College of Nursing Teacher of the Year Award in 2019 – to follow his dream.

A masterclass with multi-award winning pizza chef Marco Fuso followed, and after time spent working on branding, experimenting and making and sourcing the best ingredients available – vegan mock duck is among the best sellers – Stephen was ready to fire up the oven.

“I had procrastinated for some time about turning my interest and passion for sourdough and pizza into a business, and when I began to experience ‘burn out’ while teaching, I found working with sourdough to be therapeutic and great for the mind. It offered me a real focus,” he said.

“But I didn’t think a pesto would be as popular as it has become. I suppose customers have come to appreciate the love I put into my pizza and appreciate what good quality ingredients taste like.

“Our tomatoes are often talked about, as they are fresh and actually taste like tomatoes! How many of us buy tomatoes these days which are bursting with flavour?

“Many of our ingredients are sourced from across Britain. Our vegan pepperoni comes from a small supplier in Scotland and our Shiitake mushrooms are grown by British mushroom farmers. But there are some ingredients I have to source from Italy, such as our superior grade Neapolitan flour, Nduja and mozzarella as they are baked with great, authentic flavour.”

Stephen added: “I had considered growing into a bricks and mortar operation but I think it’s more likely I’ll buy another trailer and recruit more pizza chefs, especially as we’ve had requests to attend weddings, events and festivals from next summer.

“We have to expand because it’s impossible with one trailer to do all the things people are asking us to do, and I don’t want to let anyone down.

“We are so fortunate and appreciative of the many loyal friends who return to us again and again and will never take that for granted.

“We are in a wonderful part of the world and have had a brilliant start despite all of the doom and gloom in the world – long may that continue.”

For more information, visit www.apesto.co.uk or follow @a_pestouk  on Instagram and @apestouk on Facebook. Alternatively, email hello@apesto.co.uk

PIC CREDIT: THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S TABLE 

News, Work from Home

Sales of sound insulation booming thanks to COVID-19 lockdowns

Coronavirus has drastically changed the way we conduct our lives, with millions of us now remote-working from home, quarantined between the same four walls day in day out.

The unexpected knock-on effect of this has been a dramatic rise in noise pollution within our communities and an all-time high in the sale of sound-insulating materials.

One West Midlands foam manufacturer has seen an unexpectedly successful year, reporting a 240% increase in sales in 2020.

Charlie Barrett, Sales and Marketing Manager for eFoam.co.uk explains:

“We were not surprised to see an increase in the number of people purchasing sound-insulating foam.  With more people working from home, sales have has hit an all-time high, driven mainly by residents installing products to dampen the sound of noisy neighbours. So far this year our sales of foam have increased by 240 percent – and the year hasn’t finished yet.”

“Pre-pandemic, our acoustic foam was being purchased mainly by recording studios and musicians such as drummers, who were converting garages or spare rooms into practice studios to help insulate the noise. Now we are receiving enquiries from people saying they need something to insulate their home from noisy neighbours, as they haven’t slept properly in weeks. There’s no evidence the trend won’t continue as the work from home culture benefits many industries.”

When relaxing at home, noise like traffic, a neighbour’s barking dog and family noise are often unnoticed, but being at home all day and trying to concentrate in a work mindset can highlight every sound – however it isn’t only the perception of noise that is an issue – the brave new world, with more families spending time indoors, more stress leading to more arguments and multiple people all working from home, noise levels have physically increased too.

Charlie explains that the properties of acoustic foam offer noise reduction in a number of ways, such as reducing reverberation, reflections and flutter echoes in recording studios, home theatres, music rooms, workshops, cinemas, etc. –  and home offices have been added to the list:

“Many clients have enquired about sound insulation for a dedicated meeting room at home, so they can take Zoom & Skype calls without intrusion. While meetings have generally become more tolerant, dogs barking, kids playing and normal household noise can be really distracting.  With remote meetings becoming a hallmark of the pandemic, it’s hardly surprising that we have seen a general increase in soundproofing requests – after all this is what we specialise in.  We can also customise our foam to meet any household requirements, and while we prepare and cut our foam in the heart of the West Midlands from our own factory, we supply the whole of the UK.”

To learn more, visit https://www.efoam.co.uk/

Appointments, News

CyberGuard Technologies appoints Tom Godfrey to boost public sector client base

CyberGuard Technologies, the cybersecurity division of IT services provider OGL Computer, has appointed Tom Godfrey as Public Sector Sales Consultant, following the recent addition of a Midlands-based NHS Trust to its public sector client base.

Reporting directly to CyberGuard Technologies’ Security Operations Centre (SOC) Manager, Sean Tickle, Tom’s appointment comes as part of the launch of a dedicated healthcare team, providing the NHS Trust and other public sector clients with specialist consultants.

Following a competitive tender, CyberGuard Technologies is now providing a range of cybersecurity services to the Midlands health trust. Initially, a critical Incident Response service was set up, so that CyberGuard’s Security Operations Centre (SOC) can investigate, react to and fix any real-time security threats, to ensure it can continue operations at full capacity.

“The healthcare sector is struggling with ageing infrastructures and an over-whelming volume of threat alerts which is putting a lot of internal teams under immense pressure,” Tom Godfrey explained. “The need to also achieve compliance with the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) by end of March is applying yet more pressure in an already stretched organisation. We work closely with internal teams at the Trusts we support and make sure that they have the protection they need in place as well as design solutions that utilise their existing security products to maximise the investment they have already made. We then provide that extra layer of protection through our 24/7 UK SOC Team whereby our cyber analysts monitor their networks to quickly identify, isolate and eradicate any threats made against them.”

Using its proactive Managed Detect and Respond services to prevent the new NHS Trust client from becoming a victim of cyber-crime, CyberGuard has implemented a SIEM (Security Information & Event Management) solution whereby all outputs from the various security products that the Trust had in place are centralised and any alerts are now sent from a single source. This provides a clearer picture of potential threats and removes any duplication.

A spokesperson from the NHS Trust client in the Midlands commented: “As a Trust, we have been very impressed with CyberGuard’s knowledge, response and proactivity. Whilst this has only been in place for a short period of time, we have full confidence that our security has been strengthened and will continue to be on the forefront.”

The healthcare team at CyberGuard’s SOC is improving efficiency within the NHS Trust and boosting its limited internal resources. Sean Tickle, SOC Manager at CyberGuard Technologies, said: “Our robust security approach provides the NHS Trust with an additional centralised security-operational layer that works seamlessly across any ageing infrastructure. This allows us to mitigate any potential impact to the health authority and, as a result, the wider community. By improving the communication between all existing security products, all security alerts are pulled into one single portal for our SOC team to identify which threats could be genuine.”

CyberGuard Technologies is looking to provide a number of specific cyber security services to other healthcare providers from its Kidderminster base, including:
• Incident response
• Vulnerability assessments
• Managed SIEM (Security information and event management)
• Threat detection
• Cyber protection improvement consultancy

CyberGuard Technologies is CREST-certified and its position on the Cyber Security Services 3 and G-Cloud12 (both frameworks under Crown Commercial Service), as well as Edge4Health now enables the firm to extend its reach among the public sector including local authorities and education providers.

News, Tech

Medallia Collaborates with Oracle Cloud CX to Help Brands Reinvent Customer Service Engagement

Medallia, Inc., a global leader in experience management and a member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), today announced it plans to integrate with Oracle CX Service to deliver real-time feedback on what customers think and feel about customer service interactions with a brand. Seamless routing of real-time feedback from Medallia gives brands a deep understanding of which services are effective, satisfying and driving customer loyalty, and which services are in need of improvement to increase customer retention.

“Recent events have put in motion a new set of customer behaviours and requirements. Businesses need to react quickly in order to continue providing services and pick up on the signals customers are sending,” said Rob Tarkoff, executive vice president and general manager, Oracle Cloud CX and Data Cloud. “With Oracle CX Service, and our work with partners like Medallia, we are helping brands make every customer interaction matter by providing our customers with the data they need to read and react to signals in real-time, and ultimately create lasting relationships with their customers.”

Medallia’s planned integration with Oracle CX Service will allow brands to proactively understand their customer’s experience by capturing a range of feedback signals that include web surveys, messaging, video, and voice analytics after a service interaction.

“Now, more than ever, customer engagements must be frictionless for brands to build relationships, revenues and results, and customer service is a key area that is ripe for transformation right now. Our relationship with Oracle will arm service teams with customer intelligence they can use to turn service into revenue,” said Leslie Stretch, chief executive officer for Medallia.

To learn more visit www.medallia.com and http://www.oracle.com/partnernetwork

News, Property, Property Buyer News

Building work takes off at new housing site near Ely

Construction is underway on a new housing development in the Cambridgeshire village of Witchford, near Ely, ready for the site opening to the public in spring.

Bellway is building 110 new homes at the site, off Manor Road, after East Cambridgeshire District Council approved detailed plans earlier this year.

The new development will be known as The Vickers, named after one of the aircraft which operated from RAF Witchford during the Second World War.

Three and four-bedroom houses for private sale are being built, as well as 35 affordable homes – comprising one and two-bedroom apartments and two, three and four-bedroom houses – for local people available for rent or shared ownership.

More than three acres of public open space, including an equipped children’s play area, will be provided, as well as a cycle path linking Common Road and Manor Road. There will also be land available on the site for an additional six self-build homes.

Rachael Gatehouse, Sales Manager for Bellway Eastern Counties, said: “We are providing much-needed housing for this part of Cambridgeshire on an attractive site overlooking picturesque green space and just a short walk from the village centre.

“We have worked with the local authority to ensure that these new homes at The Vickers meet the needs of local people and complement their surroundings.

“This is a highly sustainable location for new housing, as Witchford has excellent local amenities, including shops and well-regarded schools for all ages. It’s just three miles to Ely city centre and only 15 miles to Cambridge, while the new development is close to both the A142 and the A10, making it convenient for commuters.

“We’ve already seen a considerable amount of interest in the new homes and are looking forward to welcoming the first visitors to the development next year.

“In the meantime, people can find out more on our website, where they can register an interest to receive updates about the development launch.”

For more information, call 01353 383827 or visit bellway.co.uk.

News, Telecoms News

David Robinson Joins Staffordshire Based Complete Voice and Data

David Robinson has been appointed to the role of Head of Unified Communications and Cloud at leading voice, data and connectivity provider, Complete Voice and Data in Newcastle under Lyme.

Experienced business communications strategy specialist David Robinson has been recruited by the management team at Complete Voice and Data into the newly created role of Head of Unified Communications and Cloud; he will concentrate on driving and securing partnerships with local and national businesses to support their telecoms and digital communications requirements.

With over 15 years’ extensive experience in the sector, David’s knowledge covers all areas of voice and data communications; focusing on the creation of bespoke unified communications strategies for businesses of all types and sizes.

As the latest high-profile appointment to join the dedicated team, he will be based at the company’s HQ, at Lymedale Business Centre. Said David:

“I am delighted to have joined the renowned team at Complete Voice and Data. As an independent supplier, we can offer the best-in-class products and services to allow our clients to achieve more in this mobile-first and cloud-first world.

“In the current climate, as face-to-face contact has been cut dramatically, communication and connections have never been more crucial. Making sure that our customers love our products, services and support so that they can drive growth, is something I’m truly passionate about.”

Mike Ridgway, Managing Director at Complete Voice and Data said:

“I am incredibly pleased to welcome David to our team. Having known him for a number of years, I am confident that his complex sector knowledge will be a huge benefit and he will undoubtedly offer the best understanding, solutions and support for all of our clients.”

David’s previous roles include positions with Elitetele.com PLC and Qualitel Voice and Data Ltd.

Find out more about Complete Voice and Data at: https://completevoiceanddata.com/

Appointments, Marketing, PR and SEO, News

AML Group announce new hire

AML Group, the London-based ad agency, has appointed Sophie Sheard to the role of Account Manager.

Working predominantly on the Vanguard account and on a new (and undisclosed) project for a major financial institution, Sophie will report to Merope Beddard, Client Services Director and Annabelle Meddows-Taylor, Account Director.

Commenting on joining AML Group Sophie says: “AML has such a great reputation and I feel really fortunate to be part of a hugely talented team working on some top brands and on projects that I am passionate about.”

AML Group, who moved into new offices in Shoreditch’s Tea Building one week before the first national lockdown in March, have continued to operate at full capacity winning a number of new clients including the private bank Weatherbys and NOW Pensions and launching national campaigns for, amongst others, Bibby, Robeco and The Big Exchange.

On the decision to appoint Sophie, Merope Beddard says: “Sophie comes armed with some big brand experience and a proven track record in engaging audiences across the conversion funnel – and we are delighted to welcome her to the AML family.”

Sophie joins from the marketing agency Campaign Works, where she worked across a broad portfolio of clients in the financial and hospitality sectors including the Hilton EMEA account.

To learn more visit: https://aml-group.com/