Taywell’s Kent Cobnut ice cream is hand-made by blending crushed end-of-season Kent-grown cobnuts (the tastiest) with the finest British milk and cream.

The new ice cream flavour will be making its public debut at the BBC Good Food Show Spring, which takes place at the Bluewater shopping centre from 12-15 April.  Kent-based Taywell, the UK’s premier artisan ice cream and sorbet maker, will be exhibiting on stand PK7 at the event.

Taywell’s boss Alastair Jessel said: “We think our new Kent Cobnut ice cream is going to be a massive hit with ice cream lovers.  We already make Hazelnut and Pistachio ice cream and they’re really popular.  But our Kent Cobnut is the best nut flavoured ice cream I’ve ever tasted.  We reckon it could even be the best nut ice cream in the country!”

Visitors to the BBC Good Food Show Spring will be able to put Alastair’s claim to the test.  If nuts aren’t your thing, don’t worry because Taywell will be offering a range of other delicious hand-made ice cream flavours, including its award-winning Honeycomb, the company’s best seller, which is produced to a recipe using milk and cream from Kent and Sussex and honeycomb from Essex.

Another popular choice is Taywell’s gorgeous Raspberry sorbet.  Made using fruit grown on Taywell’s own farm, this won a coveted ‘Quality’ Food Award in 2011.  For those looking for a tasty but super-healthy kick, then Taywell’s Sea Buckthorn sorbet is just the thing.  Sea Buckthorn berries areBritain’s most potent superfruit and are packed with nutrients.  They also have a great intense, orangey flavour.

But why should people have all the fun? What about our furry friends? Never fear, Taywell is even showcasing a new ice cream for dogs at the BBC Good Food Show Spring!

Billy+Margot™ is a unique and delicious nutritious iced treat created especially forBritain’s pooches. Developed by nutritionist and dog lover Marie Sawle, Billy+Margot™ contains no milk, which can be harmful to dogs.  The sugars in the product come only from fructose found naturally in the fruit and vegetable ingredients that flavour the ice cream.  Aloe Vera and flax oil have been added to boost the healthy qualities of the product further.

Alastair said: “We’re really excited to be taking part in the BBC Good Food Show Spring and we can’t wait to give visitors to the event – both human and canine – the chance to taste our wonderful products.  We look forward to welcoming all ice cream and sorbet lovers to our stand!”

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“Frankly, we didn’t expect anyone to suggest we had done anything other than what we did,” says Mike Ferguson, president of Coffee Kids, “which was to eliminate the extra overhead associated with maintaining two charities. Our donor base in the UK understands that this means more money going to coffee farmers. The response has been very positive.” 

Some unintended confusion resulted when a few former members of the Coffee Kids UK committee started a new charity in the UK and announced they would support a project involving Bill Fishbein, one of Coffee Kids’ founders. “We received a lot of calls from UK donors who thought this new charity was Coffee Kids UK 2.0 and we understand why they might think that,” says Coffee Kids Executive Director, Carolyn Fairman. “We wish the new group the best because their stated intent is the benefit of coffee farmers. At the same time we want to be clear that they are not associated with Coffee Kids.” 

Ferguson added, “The former members of our UK committee deserve our gratitude and we thank them for their service. I think their commitment to coffee farmers is clearly demonstrated by the fact that some of them started a new charity when we no longer had a need for administrative oversight in the UK.” 

Elisa Kelly, based in London, is Coffee Kids’ development liaison for the UK and Europe. She says the change in administrative structure has had no impact on the Coffee Kids donor base in the UK. “In fact,” she says, “with the streamlining of administration we not only have additional funds for the farmers but I have more time to spend working with our donors in the UK, where things are more active than ever for Coffee Kids. You’ll soon see our logo in more places as more UK companies are expressing interest in commercial agreements and deepening their support of our mission.” 

The Mobile Sandwich Unit is operating in the foyer of the acclaimed Smith Square restaurant, selling high quality food and hot and cold beverages to take-away throughout the day.

As well as feeding hungry passers-by, Leafi hopes the Mobile Sandwich Unit will draw more attention to Smith Square Café & Restaurant itself, which is located in the crypt of the St John’s Smith Square Concert Hall, a beautiful grade 1 listed church in the heart of Westminster, London.  The restaurant offers lunch on weekdays and dinner on concert evenings, and a choice of either waiter service or a self-service buffet.

Liam Farrell, co-founder of Leafi, said: “Smith Square Café & Restaurant truly is one of the capital’s hidden gems, serving fantastic food and drink in an amazing setting.  But its discreet location means that many people visiting the area don’t know that it’s there or that Leafi provides in-house catering for local businesses be it breakfasts, lunches or afternoon teas.  We think the Mobile Sandwich Unit will help us address that by creating a presence that’s highly visible at street level.”

In the morning, the Mobile Sandwich Unit will offer a selection of delicious baked goods and healthy breakfasts, such as granola, Greek yoghurt, fruit salads and forced rhubarb compotes.

At lunchtime it will sell sandwiches made with Leafi’s bespoke breads and a wide range of tasty and creative fillings.  These will be complemented by a choice of flapjacks, brownies and bar cakes, as well as tray bakes in original and mouthwatering combinations such as beetroot & seed and orange & lavender.

Liam added:  “The Mobile Sandwich Unit is an innovative way to promote a venue.  But we really believe that giving more people the chance to sample our great food will encourage them to give Smith Square Café & Restaurant a try next time they’re planning to eat out.”

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In total, 109 KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* hygiene products, including 106 towel and tissue and three skincare products, have achieved Ecolabel status¹.  The company intends to add at least 11 more to this number in 2012, bringing the total to 120.

The Ecolabel scheme is a voluntary programme designed to encourage businesses to develop and market products that are kinder to the environment.  Companies and brands are judged on criteria that measure impact of a product on the environment throughout its lifecycle, from raw material extraction in the pre-production stage, through to production, distribution and disposal.

To achieve Ecolabel status for its towel and tissue products, KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* implemented a range of measures to ensure its manufacturing procedures satisfied the Ecolabel programme’s stringent requirements around energy usage, carbon emissions and water consumption.

Example Ecolabel criteria for tissue products include:

• No use of chlorine bleach (elemental chlorine free)
• Less than 40kg of organic water pollution (COD) per metric ton of tissue produced
• Less than 1,500kg of CO₂ from fossil fuels per metric ton of tissue produced
• Less than 2,200kWh of electricity used per metric ton of tissue produced.

In addition, to enhance the environmental credentials of its KLEENEX® soaps, the company reformulated them so that they now contain a preservative system in line with the ecological criteria defined under the Ecolabel scheme. 

Lori Shaffer, Sustainability Manager at KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL*, said:  “We’re immensely proud that we have entered 2012 with Ecolabel accreditation on 109 of our hygiene products.  At the start of 2011, just three of our products had met the scheme’s extremely exacting standards.  But we’ve worked hard over the past year and the fruits of our efforts are clear to see.”

She continued:  “We won’t be resting on our laurels but will be working equally hard this year to gain Ecolabel accreditation on more of our products.  KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* is totally committed to operating in the most sustainable way possible – and to helping our customers do the same – and engaging with the Ecolabel initiative is a vital part of this.”

¹For a full listing of KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* products that carry the Ecolabel, please visit www.kcpreducetoday.com/uk.

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The new Artisan range comprises two innovative pack designs – the ‘Bloomer U’ and the ‘Bloomer 2’.  The Artisan Bloomer U is a flat structure with sides that click upwards to form a U-shape.  This next-generation pack can be flow‐wrapped, wrapped with polysheet or simply bagged.  It protects the product while in transit and on display and ensures it is highly visible at all times. 

The design of the Artisan Bloomer U also helps guarantee that the sandwich stays in great shape and that it is easy to pick up and put down, making it ideal for eating at the office desk or grazing in the park.

The Artisan Bloomer 2, meanwhile, is an off-the shelf pack boasting two cavities that are the perfect shape and size for square-cut sandwiches.  Incredibly user‐friendly, the Artisan Bloomer 2 is designed to be bagged but can also be flow‐wrapped.

Created by Anson, one of the UK’s leading packaging manufacturers, the Artisan range will be distributed exclusively by market-leading food packaging supplier Tri-Star.

Kevin Curran, managing director of Tri-Star Packaging, said: “Rustic and bloomer-style sandwiches have caught on like wildfire, proving that it really is hip to be square.  Consumers love the way they look, feel and taste – and are often willing to pay a premium for them, adding value to the operator. 

“However, to maximise sales of rustic sandwiches, it’s very important to sell them in the right kind of packaging.  The Artisan Bloomer U and 2 packs are the perfect partners for rustic sandwiches.  They’re superb quality, they look great and they offer outstanding levels of user-friendliness.  It’s a winning combination that we believe will help sandwich outlets of all sizes to maximise their sales.

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Included in the bundle are the new KLEENEX^® ‘COMPACT’ FOAM HAND CLEANSER SYSTEM and the SCOTT^® SLIMFOLD Hand Towel Dispenser.

These highly complementary products provide the ultimate space-saving solution for smaller washrooms in a range of locations, including offices, primary healthcare environments, and restaurants and cafés.

The new ‘Compact’ Hand Hygiene Bundle is one of the smallest available on the market and offers superb cost-in-use. The bundle is compatible with the high performance KLEENEX^® luxury foam soap and the ultra-hygienic AIRFLEX* Fabric range of hand towels.

The ‘COMPACT’ FOAM HAND CLEANSER SYSTEM offers high capacity with up to 500 shots per refill and delivers the perfect amount of soap for one hand wash each time.  Each new pouch comes fully sealed with its own integrated pump to enable quick changeover and help prevent contamination.  A hidden lock mechanism eliminates dirt traps.

Louise Vickerman, Category Manager at KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL*, said:  “The launch of our ‘Compact’ Hand Hygiene Bundle is great news for anyone operating a smaller washroom.  It provides a truly professional hygienic solution and finish to your washroom even when space is at a real premium.

“Our AIRFLEX* Fabric Hand Towels and KLEENEX^® Luxury Foam Soap both offer a high-performance and co-ordinated solution to hand hygiene.  A lack of space in your washroom need no longer be an obstacle to the installation of the best hygiene products on the market.”

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The Kent-based company, which recently won a ‘Q’ Quality Food Award, is initially supplying Costco with its popular Honeycomb ice cream in one-litre tubs, with other ice cream and sorbet variants set to follow soon.

Taywell and Costco are also poised to work in partnership to develop innovative flavours exclusively for sale in Costco’s 22 warehouses across Britain.

The new supply contract with Taywell means that Costco will now be able to offer its members an artisan, premium quality ice cream manufactured in the UK.  Taywell will support the new listing with regular tastings in all branches of Costco.

Alastair Jessel, Managing Director of Taywell, said: “This deal with Costco is great news for us because it means that, for the first time, Taywell-branded ice cream will be available across the country.

“But it’s also fantastic news for Costco’s customers, who now have access to premium ice cream made in Britain, rather than imported from overseas.  Right now, quality and provenance are two of the major trends in ice cream – and indeed food – and we really do tick both boxes.”

The contract with Costco caps a highly successful year for Taywell.  Despite the economic downturn, the company increased sales of its premium ice creams and sorbets by 65% in the last financial year, and has doubled employee numbers.

It is forecast to increase its turnover by more than 100% in the current year, and to keep pace with this growth is looking to build another kitchen at its headquarters in Paddock Wood.

Alastair Jessel said: “We’re well on the way to achieving our aim, which is to become the UK’s favourite artisan ice cream and sorbet brand – one that ice cream and sorbet lovers return to again and again because they know there is no other product out there as good as ours.”

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The patent-pending Deli Pot Topper is designed so that the pot can be filled with the main ingredient, while the lid – or topper – is filled with a further ingredient to be added when the customer is ready to eat the product.

There are hundreds of possible recipe combinations for the Deli Pot Topper, including hummus and crudités, shaker salads, strawberries and cream, yoghurt and granola, and fruit and nuts.  The topper itself is manufactured so that it can fit neatly on to five different sizes of pot in the Deli Pot Topper range, from 230ml to 470ml, enabling complete flexibility and portion control.

Kevin Curran, managing director of Tri-Star, said: “The great advantage of the fantastic Deli Pot Topper is that it ensures, at the point of consumption, the customer is eating the product when it’s in peak condition.  When it comes to keeping your customers loyal, quality is the absolute key, and the Deli Pot Topper can help you make sure your products are always as fresh and tasty as the moment they were made.”

The Deli Pot Topper has other benefits, including a compact design that allows easy handling and excellent merchandising opportunities, and a recessed lid panel that results in secure shelf stacking.

Further, the Deli Pot Topper is manufactured in crystal clear recycled PET that contains a minimum of 50% post-consumer waste.

Kevin Curran added: “As well as offering great functionality and performance, the new Deli Pot Topper, with its superb environmental credentials, is a real step forward in terms of recycled food-grade packaging.”

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Binge drinking now affects one in four adults in the UK…

The NHS Information Centre’s 2011 alcohol report statistics make sobering reading. Drink causes a million hospital visits a year, a figure that has doubled over the last decade.  Two thirds of those (63%) who ended up in hospital are men and drinking enough to do serious physical or mental harm.  Put in simple terms men are twice as likely as women to glug themselves to premature senility or even death.

Binge drinking can be defined as taking in as much alcohol as possible in the shortest amount of time and is most common in young males. A popular place to start the habit is at university where alcohol is widely available through cheap drink promotions.  Excess alcohol gives a fake confidence to young drinkers wanting to make the right impression in social situations or can be taken to blot out pressures. It’s no wonder students take the opportunity to binge drink for cheap on a regular basis, oblivious to the risk and harm they are causing to their body. 

Once caught up with the stresses of modern working life, relationships, financial pressures and bringing up children, the binge drinking habit can continue, increasing over time.  The peer pressure some men feel to drink alcohol in large quantities after work with colleagues is all too common an occurrence, but is hazardous to health.

Understanding How Hypnosis Can Change Your Relationship Towards Binge Drinking

Research proves that hypnosis can assist with breaking free from the cravings of binge drinking by addressing the unconscious negative emotions that have hidden the real self.  Through easy to listen to hypnosis recordings, listeners can safely release the habit of binge drinking in the privacy of their own home, rebalancing their relationship with alcohol allowing their bodies to detox safely.

NHS registered Hypnotherapist and Member of the General Hypnotherapy Register, Ailsa Frank, from Hypnobalance in Berkshire, has seen many men reclaim their future and break free from the patterns of binge drinking. “Some male clients tell me they can go all week without alcohol until the weekend comes round and they then drink as much as they can on at least one of those nights, quite commonly afterwards finding themselves in unexplained situations.  Inevitably, this type of behaviour puts a strain on relationships with partners.  Whilst friends might think it is good fun, my clients are suffering in silence, unable to release themselves from the binge drinking trap until they find hypnotherapy which can set them free to enjoy sensible levels of alcohol.” says Ailsa.

“I have seen a rise in the number of male clients approaching me for help.  As the economy goes down, male binge drinking referrals have gone up.  A trend that has become accepted as part of everyday life can, long term, lead to a path of self-destruction, cause liver damage or failure, certain cancers, high blood pressure and even mental disorders.”

“My CD will help listeners to change their drinking habits by reprogramming the subconscious mind, releasing cravings and building a new confidence to feel comfortable without alcohol. By drinking less, feeling better and saving time and money, listeners will improve their quality of life and relationships as they begin to once again find pleasure from working, sleeping more soundly at night and enjoying the weekends or weekdays without binge drinking.” says Ailsa.

Regularly listening to Ailsa Frank’s ‘Stop Binge Drinking – for Men’ CD, can help free negative binge drinking traits by working to relax then motivate listeners to reduce their alcohol intake, improve health and regain a more balanced lifestyle as the true self is rediscovered.

The Stop Binge Drinking – for Men CD and MP3 download is available from www.hypnobalance.co.uk or phoning 01344 622185 priced £14.99.

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Female Binge Drinking is on the Rise …

A recent pan-European drink survey has revealed that nearly 8% of British women (2.5M) are now classified as binge drinkers.  The findings, from a study of drinking habits within six European countries, shows the gap between the numbers of men and women binge drinkers has narrowed in relation to both consumption and problems.  Alarmingly some women now also choose to starve themselves before going on drinking binges so they can avoid the calories that come with alcoholic drinks.

What once was considered a bit edgy, risky and a rite of passage for a group of teenage girls out socialising on a Friday night has lead to an NHS crisis, with alcohol related issues the cause of a million hospital visits a year, according to a report issued by the NHS Information Centre. GPs are being forced to address excess alcohol consumption issues with female patients as drinking can not only cause damage to health, such as heart and liver disease, but is now known to effect memory skills as a female brain develops that much earlier than a male brain.

Regular binge drinking for a woman of the same height and weight as a man takes a far greater toll on their body. Women simply cannot absorb alcohol in the same way as they possess a higher proportion of body fat making them far more vulnerable to the side effects of excessive drinking resulting in higher levels of alcohol being concentrated into the bloodstream.

Binge drinking affects women of all ages and backgrounds. Such unsavoury habits formed at University or with female peer groups have become part of many female lifestyles with after work drinks, nights out with the girls, or parties, seen as an excuse to get blotto.

NHS registered Hypnotherapist and Member of the General Hypnotherapy Register, Ailsa Frank, from Hypnobalance in Berkshire, helps women reclaim their future and break free from the patterns of binge drinking. “Over the past six years I have seen a sharp rise in the number of younger women worried about their excess alcohol intake approach me for advice and help to combat their binge drinking habit. I tell all of my clients, if you’ve started counting your daily units of alcohol consumption, you’re already drinking too much.”

“The key triggers for women to start binge drinking later in life are more often than not, emotionally driven, be it the upset of miscarriage, a regretted termination, infertility problems, confidence issues, broken relationships or depression.  With more women working whilst raising children, the stress of work and family life can also lead to responsibility overload and increasing excess alcohol consumption is often a quick fix for women make to help to blot out worries, escape daily pressures and switch off. Sadly it’s the onset of a downward spiral with many women getting drunk even before they have left the house for a night out. Some even breathalyse themselves before they undertake the morning school run” says Ailsa

Understanding How Hypnosis Can Change Your Relationship Towards Binge Drinking

Women need not suffer in silence.  Research proves that hypnosis can assist in the journey to break free from the cravings of binge drinking by addressing the unconscious bad habits and negative emotions and regain clarity. Through easy to listen to hypnosis recordings, listeners can safely release the habit of binge drinking in the privacy of their own home, rebalancing their relationship with alcohol allowing their bodies to detox safely. 

“My CD will help listeners to change their drinking habits by reprogramming their subconscious mind, releasing cravings and building a new confidence to feel comfortable without alcohol.  By drinking less feeling better and saving time and money, listeners will improve their quality of life and relationships as they begin to once again find pleasure from working, sleeping more soundly at night and enjoying the weekends without binge drinking.” says Ailsa.

Regularly listening to Ailsa Frank’s ‘Stop Binge Drinking – for Women’ CD, can release negative excess alcohol habits by working to relax then reprogram listeners to reduce their alcohol intake, improve health and regain a more balanced lifestyle as the true self is rediscovered.

The Stop Binge Drinking – for Women CD and MP3 download is available from www.hypnobalance.co.uk or by phoning 01344 622185 priced £14.99.

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