As 2017 comes to an end, we remember the biggest stories that caught readers’ eyes this year.
The countdown of our ten most read stories is listed below. To view the original stories, click on the headlines.
10. 2 Sisters boss summoned to give evidence to Commons inquiry
In mid-October, 2 Sisters owner and chief executive, Ranjit Singh Boparan, was called to give evidence before a parliamentary inquiry, following allegations of food safety breaches at the company’s West Bromwich plants unearthed by an ITV/The Guardian exposé.
9. UK Sausage Week: website and entry form now live
Meat Management launched the inaugural UK Sausage Week this year. Back in July, the campaign’s website went live, including a product-entry form where sausage-makers could enter their products for consideration. The website offered information on the various award categories, sausage recipes, breaking news stories, and acted as key UK Sausage Week promotional tool.
8. Poultry firm ordered to pay over £24,000 in costs and damages
Early January 2017, Bradford based Halal abattoir and poultry supplier, Yorkshire Poultry Products, was ordered to pay over £24,000 in costs and damages for using bread baskets belonging to bakery equipment company Bakers Basco without its permission.
7. Young Manager of the Year judging day a success
In April, the judging panel for the Meat Management Industry Awards’ Young Manager of the Year accolade gathered at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, for a full day of interviews with the four finalists. The judges were looking for outstanding candidates aged 32 and under who had achieved qualifications or made exceptional progress as a young meat manager – either through an industry scheme or via a business.
6. Tulip narrows 2016 losses after change in leadership
Back in June, food producer Tulip, owned by Danish Crown, reported positive recovery for the year ending 30th September 2016, with operating losses of £21.8 million, following poor results the year before.
5. Obituary: Peter Martinelli MBE
In April 2017, Meat Management reported on the sad news of Peter Martinelli’s MBE death on Thursday 27th April, aged 87. One of the outstanding characters of the UK meat industry, Peter was best known as a Smithfield market trader, and for his slogan of ‘meet us under the clock’.
4. ABP Food Group changes its senior management
In January 2017, ABP Food Group announced a newly appointed chief operating officer and managing director – Finbarr McDonnell and Martin Kane. The appointments would be effective as of April 2017.
3. Pork Farms launches new TV ad campaign for 2017
Last summer, UK pork pie brand Pork Farms launched a new TV advertising campaign following the success of its advertising campaign the previous year. Debuting across Channel 4 and ITV during programmes including Emmerdale, The Handmaid’s Tale and Ackley Bridge, the advert put emphasis on the great British outdoors, following filming at locations across Snowdonia and Anglesey.
2. Finalists announced for Britain’s Best Butcher’s Shop award
Back in May, Meat Management revealed the four finalists for the 2017 Britain’s Best Butcher’s Shop award ahead of the Meat Management Industry Awards 2017 presentation dinner, which took place on Wednesday 28th June in Birmingham. The finalists comprised James of Shepperton in Surrey; Grasmere Farm Shop in Market Deeping; Simpsons in Heckington and Patrick Strainge Butchers in Whitney.
1. TOP STORY: Best of the UK meat industry honoured at Meat Management Industry Awards
Meat Management’s most-read story was its review of the Meat Management Industry Awards, which took place on Wednesday 28th June, in the company of stand-up comedian and performer Miles Jupp. Around 400 guests attended the prestigious black-tie awards dinner at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole to network and celebrate with the winning companies, products and organisations.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
