Schools Information Pack

1. Schools Information Pack Revised: February 2006

2. Our Product Range • Iced Christmas Cakes • Madeira Cakes • Chocolate Cakes • Rich Fruit Cakes • Celebration/Novelty Cakes • Oven-finished Fruit Cakes • Cut Section Fruit and Madeira Cake • Vacuum Sealed Fruit Cakes • Iced Fruit Cakes • Corn and Rice Crisp Cakes

3. Innovation • Other characters – pigs, teddies, cats, dogs, sheep, monsters • Brainstorming Sessions:New IdeasNew TechniquesNew Decorations • Licensed Film & TV Characters: • Simpsons • Thomas & Friends • Shrek • Wallace & Gromit • Special Occasions:Valentine’s DayEasterChristmasMother’s DayHalloweenWeddingsBirthdays • Links with hobbies and interests, e.g. football, snooker • Consultation with retail buyers and suppliers

4. Types of Novelty Cakes • Bases • Madeira: • Plain • Chocolate • Flavoured • Chocolate • Plain Genoese • Sizes/shapes 5” – 9” • Round, square, oval, cut-out shape, 3D • Fillings Jams: • Raspberry • Strawberry • Plum & Raspberry Buttercreams: • Plain • Chocolate • Flavoured Sugarpaste: • White • Coloured • Chocolate flavoured • Fruit flavoured Fondants/Fudgeicing: • Plain • Chocolate • Coloured/flavoured • Enrobed

5. Types of Novelty Cakes cont. • Packaging • Internal: • Ribbons & Bows • Printed card collars • Cake boards • External: • Acetates • Enclosed cartons • Window cartons • Retailer’s own • Labelling • Manufacturer’s Label • In-store bakery • Decorations Milk chocolate edible decorations: • Printed sugar plaques • Chocolate plaques Moulded/reliefed: • Sugarpaste • Fudge paste • Marzipan • Candy Icing/Piping Confectionery • Chocolate Beans • Liquorice • Chocolate Buttons

6. Types of Christmas Cakes • BasesStandard or luxury • FruitSultanas, glace cherries, glace pineapple and other fruits • NutsWalnuts, almonds, pecans, brazils (chopped or nibbed) • DecorationMainly iced, beneath the icing is usually a layer of marzipan (almond paste) or a more economical version made from apricot kernel pasteCakes may be top-iced or all-over-iced Decorations may be piped or moulded, and non-edible decorations addedSome cakes, instead of being iced, have a topping of nuts and glace fruits • Dundee CakesA fruit base with a decorative pattern of whole almonds baked into the topTraditionally Dundee cakes have a flavouring of marmalade • Genoa CakesA fruit base with a high percentage of glace cherries

7. Costings/Consumer Testing • Costings • Costings are a key financial control that ensure the business remains profitable and competitive. • All our products are accurately costed by valuing the raw materials, packaging and direct labour used to manufacture the cake. These costings can then be used as a standard against which we can measure the performance of the factory and so identify and eliminate areas of inefficiency and waste. • An agreed profit margin is applied to this standard costing so that it becomes a tool to set selling prices and evaluate new business and investment. • Consumer Testing • Products are assessed by taste panels at various stages in their development: • Informally in the factory at the experimental stage • By the customers before the product is approved • ‘Sensory’ testing by market research agencies, on panels of children and adults, to gauge reaction to our own-label products • In the factory at intervals to determine the product’s shelf life and keeping qualities • Testing is designed to judge not simply taste, but texture, visual appeal, smell etc.

8. Ingredients/Packaging Ingredients The majority of our novelty cakes are suitable for vegetarians. We use the best ingredients we can obtain, and conduct rigorous assessments of our suppliers in order to ensure that quality is maintained. We use as few additives as possible, and declare them in accordance with the Food Labelling Regulations. Packaging The supermarkets who are our main customers arrange the design of the packaging, all of which has to accord with the Food Safety Act of 1995 and with the Food Labelling Regulations. Packaging must be sturdy enough to withstand stacking and transportation. Most novelty cakes are sold in window cartons, which enable the cake to be seen by the purchaser. Labels must carry a “best before” date. This is determined by shelf life testing during development.

9. Launch Procedures & Production Process • Launch Procedures • Before a cake can be launched there must be a: • Definite approval from the customer • At least one factory trial putting the cake through the full process in the factory, to determine where adjustments are necessary • Delivery of ingredients and packaging • A time-table for production and delivery into depot Production Process • Production is planned 13 weeks in advance, but with the flexibility to change from week to week. The intention is generally to produce the largest volumes at the beginning of the week and taper off towards the end. This allows the capacity to respond to delays or problems. • Approximately 160 people will be involved in the manufacture of a single product. On the “line”, which takes a baked cake base through to the packing stage, a team of up to 57 people work. • There are three lines, one dedicated to chocolate cakes, plus specialised lines for the production of Viennese Whirls and Corn Crisp. • Cakes are made in two separate areas of the factory, one known as “nutted” and the other as “nut free”. This enables us to ensure that all cakes which do not contain nuts are produced in a strictly nut free environment, for the benefit of those consumers who are allergic to the slightest trace of nuts. The following page shows a summary of the production process

10. Process Flow Diagram – Novelty Cake Manufacture

11. Product Quality (HACCP) There are 13 quality critical control points:

12. Food Safety (HACCP) There are 10 safety critical control points: At each of these points, control procedures specify control measures, critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective action, the accountable person and the control documentation.

13. Step by Step Manufacturing Process Weighing All ingredients at this stage are weighed and batch coded, this gives full traceability throughout the manufacturing process. Mixing Bulk ingredients such as Flour, Sugar and Water are weighed and added straight to the mixer, this avoids heavy handling and speeds up mixing time. Depositing Cake batter is deposited to strict weight tolerances, this ensures consistency in the finished product. This automated process uses a travelling conveyer which feeds into the oven.

14. Step by Step Manufacturing Process Baking We use travelling ovens, these have three zones to give varying bake profiles. Bake times can vary from 50 minutes to 2 ½ hours. Cutting & Creaming The cake is cut into 2/3 layers. Jam and buttercream are automatically deposited. Weight checks are taken here to ensure product quality. Sheeting The filled cake travels under a sugarpaste sheeter. The sugarpaste icing is hand moulded and trimmed ready for decorating.

15. Step by Step Manufacturing Process Component Placing We make our own components. These are hand placed to a specified design. All our decorating team are trained to a high standard. Ribbon Placing For a finishing touch, we add a coloured ribbon around the finished product. The Finished Product The finished products are checked against quality standards, again this ensures the consumers are satisfied with the finished products.