THIRD party outsourcing is playing a ‘critical’ role in supporting the growth of the UK frozen food industry, according to the BCMPA, the Association for Contract Manufacturing, Packing, Fulfilment & Logistics.
The organisation has revealed that many of its members are investing in facilities and technologies for manufacturing, storage and distribution to help brand owners ‘maximise opportunities with greater supply chain flexibility and resilience’.
“Frozen food is undoubtedly one of the success stories of recent years, and the retail value of the market has increased by 50% over the past decade,” explained BCMPA CEO Emma Verkaik. “With on-going cost of living pressures, frozen foods are popular for their value for money positioning, but for brands to deliver this value effectively, it is essential that all areas of their operation from manufacturing to distribution operate as efficiently as possible.
“This is where local outsourcing specialists can help, focusing wholly on day-to-day operational issues to enable businesses to concentrate on brand building and sales.”
One recent investment example is cold storage specialist Magnavale, which is completing the construction of a new cold store at its premises in Easton, Lincolnshire. The temperature-controlled facility offers multiple pallet ingress and egress points, and has been engineered to prevent bottlenecks.
Technological advances, such as IoT integration, GPS tracking, and temperature monitoring systems will also help drive operational efficiencies, the BCMPA added.
“An outsourcing specialist can be the perfect partner to any size of frozen food business, from start-ups to established brands,” Emma Verkaik continued. “As consumers increasingly seek quick and convenient meal solutions, the rising demand for frozen food options allows BCMPA members to effectively support brands with reliable and experienced suppliers for their frozen food logistics requirements.”
