November products and suppliers update: Business moves for JJ Foodservice, Premier Foods and Enotria

JJ Foodservice signs deal with northeast councils

 

Wholesaler JJ Foodservice has secured a £3m-a-year deal with NEPO, the procurement arm of north east England local authorities. The contract will run across two years and cover more than 300 sites across eight councils, including schools, nurseries, cafés, theatres, leisure centres, civic buildings and care services.

 

The agreement began in July 2025 and has already seen JJ Foodservice deliver a range of frozen foods, including bakery, desserts, poultry, fish, fruit, vegetables and plant-based options, to businesses in the north east and Tees Valley.

 

Catering Services International becomes employer-owned

Industry recruitment agency Catering Services International (CSI) has become employee-owned after 35 years in business. Long-serving staff members Sarah Davis, Philip Hobson and Matthew Stephen will head the leadership team, alongside company founder Andrew Berman, who said: “We are not just a company, we are a community. This transition ensures that team members will benefit directly from the value they help create. Now everything everyone does will literally be for everyone!”

 

Bisto goes fully recyclable

 

Premier Foods’ Bisto gravy brand has introduced fully-recyclable packaging across its foodservice range, estimated to save 1,000kg of cardboard and 5.6 tonnes of plastic each year.

 

The FSC-certified cardboard cases for Bisto’s Original, Poultry, Reduced Salt and Vegetarian Gravy Granules were reduced in height by 20mm. The plastic shrink wrap has also been removed from the outer packaging, which should cut plastic use and prevent the output of more than 15 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. The Bisto foodservice range, which previously had a 92% recyclability rate, is now 100% recyclable.

 

Efes comes to Comptoir Libanais

 

Turkish lager Efes will now be available in all Comptoir Libanais restaurants across the UK, excluding franchises. UK licensee Sunrise Beverages will be supplying draught Efes to all 17 UK Comptoir restaurants across London and cities including Manchester, Bath, Birmingham, Oxford and Exeter.

 

Cimbali Group pushes for sustainability

 

Coffee machine manufacturer Cimbali Group has achieved certified renewable electricity use across its operations in Italy in 2024. As a result, 84% of the group’s total electricity now comes from renewable sources (up from 54% in 2023), of which 64% was purchased (47% in 2023) and 20% was self-produced (7% in 2023).

 

During 2024 the company also intensified efforts to measure and report Scope 3 emissions across its value chain, with investments in energy-saving technologies aimed at lowering the environmental impact of its machines.

 

Domaine Bousquet wine to be distributed by Enotria

 

Wine distributor Enotria has added Argentinian organic winery Domaine Bousquet to its listings. Enotria will represent the B-Corp certified winery as its exclusive distributor in the UK, offering Domaine Bousquet organic varietals, Domaine Bousquet reserve organic, Gaia organic and biodynamic, Gran Bousquet organic and Ameri Eva Estate organic.

 

Keenan Recycling marks one year with Pizza Hut

 

Food waste recycling company Keenan Recycling has partnered with Pizza Hut since 2024, and has collected more than 189 tonnes of food waste, preventing 130 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and generating renewable energy.

 

DropWorks Rum hits crowdfunding target

 

DropWorks Rum has exceeded its crowdfunding target and raised almost £500,000 from 295 investors, with around £440,000 coming from the Crowdcube platform.

 

The Nottinghamshire distillery launched a Crowdcube campaign in late August, offering shares in return for investment and with rewards that included lifetime discounts on DropWorks’ rums, limited-edition bottles from one of the brand’s maturing casks, an exclusive investor evening at the distillery and rum masterclasses with founder Lewis Hayes.