04 May 2020
Tags: Lockdown, Coronavirus Outbreak, diversifying, Retail, Independents, Frozen, sales statistics, Vegetables, trends, lockdown trends, click & collect, deliveries, NPD
Corona crisis news … never has the freezer been a better friend, minimising shopping trips and food waste, maximising storage space and convenience … field fare announce their illuminating 'Lockdown Top Ten sellers' … with a surprise chart-topper
NPD news … field fare launches new whole breast, premium Chicken Kievs, sold individually and packaging free …
News from the Home Front-line … field fare's resourceful independent stockists expand their services and their customer base ... and field fare donates food to Poole Waste Not Want Not
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As Kantar announce a 28.3% increase … in sales of frozen foods from 23rd Feb to 22nd March, in readiness for the 23rd March lockdown - representing a £130m extra spend on UK freezers - field fare sales across the same period confirm that consumers are rediscovering the convenience and quality of frozen food. And the big sellers shine an interesting light on consumer behaviour in lockdown, here listed with their year on year sales percentage growth …
Sliced Beans (+181%), Pies, Purses and Suet puddings (+93%), Savoury Pastries (+88%)
Jumbo Fish Fingers (+87%), Veg Mixes (+86%), Peas (+77%), Ready Meals (+61%),
Fruit Pies (+55%), Sweet Pastries (+52%), Mixed Fruit (+43%)
With children at home needing school dinner replacements, and home-workers looking for speedy lunch solutions, jumbo fish fingers, savoury pastry and bakery products, have all surged in sales. And with a nation more focused on their heath than ever, it is no surprise that vegetables are also top of the nation's shopping lists, but with shopping trips limited, consumers are tackling the issue of perishability by buying the equally nutritious frozen equivalent.
“Our vegetable mixes are doing particularly well,” says field fare MD, Karen Deans. “Freezer space is generally limited, so maximising types of produce, flavours, even colours, and variety of usage, seems to be a decision maker in buying medleys; across fruit too, where our mixes are similarly doing better than the single lines. We have also been interested to see that our loose serve lines are surging in sales. Much of this is down to the space saving efficiency of being sold without packaging, but I would go so far as to suggest that this crisis, and the resulting environmental benefits to a planet on lockdown, is making us far more eco-conscious. Long may that last.”
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NPD News … new for Spring 2020 and perfectly timed to get a hungry nation through their lockdown-lunch dilemmas and home school-dinners, field fare welcomes new, premium Chicken Kievs to the frozen feast.
Tender, whole breast fillets of chicken, oozing with garlic and herb butter, coated in crisp, golden breadcrumbs and oven baked from frozen in 30 minutes. This is all the crowd-pleasing convenience of the classic Kiev taken up several notches; which are sold loose, individually for both food and packaging waste reduction. A winner on every level and with every member of the family.
Product Commercials …
12 x 160g per case | Wholesale: £1.46ea | RRP: £2.25ea |
POR: 35% | Shelf life: minimum 6 months |
Order enquiries: 01732 864344
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News from the Home Front-line … Never have farmers, food producers and food retailers been more crucial or overstretched, putting themselves at risk to keep the nation fuelled for the fight. field fare supply close to 400 farm shops, delis, garden centres and zero-waste shops right across the UK, who are all providing a literal lifeline for their communities.
“We see ourselves as Key Workers”, says Heather Copley, co-owner of one such stockist, the multiple award-winning Farmer Copley's Farm Shop in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, “and hope that local shops and farmers will come out of this in a good light, hopefully customers will remember and show their loyalty with their footfall after all this is over.
They, like so many of field fare's resourceful customers, are finding novel ways to keep their customers both safe and stocked up. From offering Click & Collect and delivery services to sourcing sought after stock for their customers, including that most coveted consumable, toilet roll.
“We have also created a drive-thru element to our business,” Heather continues, “and see this being a long-term string to our bow. Businesses need to pivot to survive this character-building phase of retail! We are working the hardest we have ever worked, putting ourselves and our teams at risk; because it is the right thing to do. Ultimately, we are farmers: about producing and supplying food for the population, and most importantly to our local communities, so we need to do this. Anybody that is thinking about making money from this now shouldn't be. It is all about doing the right thing and supporting one another."
Local retailers are also reporting that their regular customer base has expanded to include shoppers who would ordinarily have gone to supermarkets, but are staying local in keeping with government guidelines.
“This slew of new customers is a great opportunity for local retailers, says field fare's Karen Deans. “for introducing new customers to all their differentiators - like locally grown, seasonal produce and traceable, artisan products; environmental solutions, like our loose serve, packaging free lines, and a friendly face behind the counter. Now is the time to shout about why shopping local is the future. Never again will there be such a literally captive audience!"
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Charity news … field fare has a long-standing relationship with Poole Waste Not Want Not, a charity which runs a community shop for individuals and families that are struggling to maintain a nutritious diet due to financial hardship, offering them discounted or free food, depending on needs. In March, field fare donated over 900 portions of products to the shop (pictured right), to support their so-worthy work, ranging from Pork Belly to Lemon Cheesecakes.
“Never have our members been more in need than now, sadly. So we were particularly grateful to receive the magnificent delivery of frozen food products from field fare and Karen Deans. They are always so gratefully appreciated and the products are of top quality and a real luxury for our members, who have insufficient disposable income and would normally not be able to afford such delicious and tasty foods.” Elaine Deans, Poole Waste Not Want Not
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Editors' notes …
- the team … field fare remains family owned by the second generation Cryer family and based in Kent on Black Robins Farms, a working farm where llamas guard the sheep (yes, really) and chickens regularly strut through the office (true too). MD Karen Deans has been at the rudder for 19 years. Previously, she worked for 8 years for Storsack UK Ltd, an industrial packaging company, then in the oil industry; and finally joined field fare in 2001, becoming MD in 2003, as Richard and Ann Cryer moved towards retirement.
- the history … 40 years ago, in 1977, field fare launched a pioneering idea in independent retail. Visionary in its environmentalism, brilliant in its simplicity, the idea was high quality, fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen direct from the field and sold loose by the scoop from branded freezers; with minimum packaging and waste, maximum nutrient, vitamin and mineral lock-in, zero additives or preservatives required and the flexibility for customers to economically take as little or as much as they wanted. The loose range now numbers over 80 products. In November 2015 it was joined by a premium ready-meal range, which now numbers over 60 dishes, including comfort food classics, international cuisine, desserts-to-die-for and special dietary requirement dishes.
- the service to their stockists … All field fare products come with the guarantee of premium quality, of being made in small batches by specialist producers, using authentic recipes and local ingredients, where relevant. But they also come with …
- The personal support of the field fare team, their extensive sales experience and specialist Food & Drink marketing and PR agency support.
- Eye catching Point of Sale marketing materials, packaging designs and website resource; plus regular e-bulletin support offering market insights, NPD news and advice on what to stock, when.
- Regular NPD activity, identifying trends, keeping freezers fresh and relevant, with a focus on offering a broad cross section of unique, premium products to maximise target markets.
- the nitty gritty … field fare ready meals are made in small batches and frozen down to between -12°C and -15°C, before being stored at -25°C, which means they immediately retain all those nutrients and flavours with no need to add any preservatives or nasties. Products should be stored at a temperature of -18°C, have a 12 – 18 month shelf life and are mainly to be oven cooked from frozen. Ready meal RRPs range from £2.75 for a single portion Macaroni Cheese to £8.50 for a double portion Fish Pie, and in weight from 300g for a single portion Liver and Bacon to 800g for a double portion Shepherd's Pie.
- the charity… field fare is proud to support the wonderful work of FareShare, a charity that redistribute surplus food to their 20 UK wide regional centres and on to partner charities. 28.6 million meals per year are thus provided to people in need. fareshare.org.uk
- the stockists … field fare is committed to supporting UK farming, recognised by hard won permission from the National Farmers' Union (NFU) to use the Support British Farmers logo. They only supply independent stores, mainly farm shops; and 374 stockists include selected Blue Diamond Group stores, Dart Farm in Devon, Millets Farm Shop in Oxon, Preston's Barton Grange Garden Centre, Polhill Farm Shop and Broadditch Farm Shop in Kent, Calcott Hall, Brentwood, Thorncliffe Farm Shop in Huddersfield and Gonalston Farm Shop in Nottingham and a growing band of zero waste, refill shops.
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Press enquiries, images and sample requests …
Lisa Jones, Dandelion PR
t: 07968 963456
tw / f: @dandylisa / @dandelionPRUK
field fare links …
tw / f: @fieldfarefoods / @fieldfarefoods
