Page 5 - Food & Drink Business Magazine March 2019

NEWS
Patties snaps up Simplot facility
PATTIES Foods has acquired Simplot’s facility at Pakenham in Victoria in a move that aims to boost its production capability and enable expansion into new areas such as pasta products and ready meals.
Simplot announced the proposed closure of the Pakenham facility in August following a strategic decision to exit from the frozen meals category.
Patties Foods’ Bairnsdale bakery will continue to operate as a specialist site for savoury baked goods, while the Pakenham site will be tasked with producing the company’s chilledranges,aswellassweetoptionsfromthe
fruit production line.
The acquisition includes the land, building
and equipment at the site and Patties Foods says operations will commence in March.
Patties Foods also secured a multi-year contract to manufacture Leggo’s pasta products for Simplot Australia, to be produced at the Pakenham site.
Patties Foods will communicate directly with Simplot employees on future employment options, and the acquisition is expected to enable the creation of more jobs within Patties Foodsoverthenext12months. ✷
Coles partners with Uber Eats
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PATTIES SNAPS UP SIMPLOT FACILITY Patties Foods has acquired Simplot's facility at Pakenham in Victoria in a move that aims to boost production capability and enable expansion into areas such as pasta products and ready meals.
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CUB DITCHES RING PULL CLOSURE
Carlton and United Breweries (CUB) will return to twist tops following a consumer backlash over controversial new ring-pulls rolled out in October last year on its Carlton Dry bottles.
RETURN OF
THE POLLY WAFFLE
The Polly Waffle, which quietly disappeared from Aussie shelves a decade ago, is making a comeback thanks to South Australian confectioner Robern Menz which has bought the brand off Nestlé.
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COLES INVESTS IN AUTOMATION
Coles Group has announced
plans to boost
efficiency
through the
development of two new automated ambient distribution centres that will cost a combined $950 million over six years.
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NSW GOVT RELEASES FOOD STRATEGY
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COLES PARTNERS WITH UBER EATS
Coles has become the first supermarket in Australia to partner with food delivery app Uber Eats to deliver a small range of ready-to- eat and ready-to-heat meals.
COLES has become the first supermarket in Australia to partner with food delivery app Uber Eats to home deliver a small range of ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat meals.
Roast chicken, deli salads, pizzas, curries, pies, bakery items, frozen desserts and drinks will be listed on the Uber Eats online food delivery app, with the range expected to expand over time.
A trial of the service was launched at Coles in the Sydney suburb of Pagewood, and Uber Eats has described it as the “next evolution” of its platform. If successful, the service will be rolled out more broadly, according to Uber Eats.
Coles staff will pick the meals off the supermarket shelf, and these will be delivered by Uber Eats drivers in less than 30-minutes on average for a
$5.00 fee between the hours of 10am and 8pm.
“Making food delivery more affordable and convenient for everyday meals are top strategic priorities for us. We’re extremely excited to work with Coles on this innovative partnership with a leading grocery brand,” the regional general manager for Uber Eats Australia and New Zealand Jodie Auster said.
“We believe this trial will complement the current Coles Online offering by delivering meals in an average of less than 30 minutes, which can be tracked in the Uber Eats app from the time of order to drop-off.
“We’re looking to expand and test both the menu and type of food available through the app over the coming weeks.”
Coles Director of Fresh Food Alex Freudmann said, “Coles is committed to making life easier for our customers and we are thrilled to offer our ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat range for delivery for the first time in Australia via the Uber Eats app.
“Coles will be the first supermarket to partner with Uber Eats in Australia, giving our customers healthy choices at competitive prices delivered right to their door.” ✷
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