Food firms set to get stuck in to new business
THREE experienced food businesses have joined forces to launch a new frozen ingredients supply venture for manufacturers.
REMS Frozen Foods will be headquartered in Hessle, East Yorkshire - and is led by three industry veterans; Steve Humphrey, managing director of Priory-tec Park-based The Tuber Group; Adam Shepherd, managing director of Leicestershire food ingredients supplier North Star Foods, and James Kempley, group managing director of Leeds vegetable, salad and mayonnaise producer Troy Foods.
A trading office will be located in Market Harborough, with Leicestershire-based Mr Shepherd heading up an initial team of six.
It will import frozen food ingredients from around the world, specialising in individually quick frozen fruit, vegetables, spices and herbs for further processing.
Complete with Brc-certified technical and supply services and backed by a secured funding facility, REMS will provide a fieldto-factory service. The team will manage all aspects of the import and delivery of a wide range of produce, including strawberries, blueberries, mangoes and melons to onions, garlic, ginger, chillies, tomatoes, potatoes, peas, carrots, mushrooms and peppers.
Offices in China, the US, Eastern Europe, Spain and Egypt are also part of the initial plans.
“Having worked in the sector for the last 13 years, I believe that the frozen food ingredient supply market is ready for a shake-up,” Mr Shepherd said.
“This collaboration between our three complementary businesses makes us ideally placed to use our expertise and resources to create a high-performance, specialist business that will really meet the needs of food manufacturers, food service providers and retailers by supplying top-quality products at competitive prices.
“With our extensive international raw material factory base, we will be able to source and supply a wide range of ingredients from artichokes to zucchini, for use in a vast array of products including ready meals, sausages, sauces, marinades and soups.
“Our aim is to provide a fullservice offering, taking care of all aspects from the sourcing, quality control and importing of products to finance, currency exchange, purchase and customs. Given the complexity of importing following Brexit changes, taking away the hassle of import issues and giving customers complete peace of mind is more important than ever.”