The company receives round of applause in a packed hall after it claimed to be the winner of prestigious Food Manufacture Excellence Awards. The Seafood Company is a part of the Findus Group – which was selected by a panel of industry experts for consistently outstanding performance in every area to nail the overall award, sponsored by the International Agri-Technology Centre.
It is said that the company also won the Seafod Award sponsored by Seafish for excellent efficiency and productivity improvements. A host of other awards were also announced amid an evening of fine food and drink in sumptuous surroundings dedicated to celebrating the best processors in their class.
John Foster, MD of Fosters Bakery, was announced as the recipient of the Food Manufacture Personality of The Year Award – sponsored by Applied Principles. Cambridge Manufacturing Company romped home with the Ambient and General Groceries Award – sponsored by Boughey Distribution – particularly for its network marketing initiatives and improvements in production efficiency, according to the judges.
Samworth Brothers scooped the Chilled Ready Meals and Prepared Foods Award – sponsored by SA Partners. Judges said they had been wowed by its dynamism across the board, from new product development (NPD) and category management to environmental initiatives and people development. They hailed it as “a company with a truly admirable ethos”.
Skills Excellence Awards were also distributed on the night and there were further celebrations for The Seafood Company as it seized the Productivity through Skills Award – sponsored by sector skills council Improve. The company received acclaim for improving operational efficiency by 125% using lean techniques, with enhanced training boosting staff retention.
