Speciality-Food-Magazine-March-2025

specialityfoodmagazine.com 27 helped us deliver fresh, high-quality ingredients while keeping our footprint as light as possible, with little to no carbon emissions.” Delivering quality We all know that fine food customers have high standards, and the role of suppliers and retailers is to ensure that food and drink is in perfect condition to be relished by the end consumer, whatever care items require while it’s in their hands. As well as ensuring that products arrive in optimum condition, it’s important that packaging looks great too says MathewMarch-Smith, co-founder of Pong Cheese. “We’ve always said that ‘cheese delivery’ is our main service and once the product is taken care of the rest of the customer experience is about the ‘delivery’. The courier’s reliability is key but the only other part of a successful delivery is the packaging and it has to do many jobs: look great, promote the company and other products, protect the products inside it and maintain the temperature of them, and finally be a good price and be easy to assemble and produce in bulk and at speed,” he says. When it comes to the products used to guarantee safe delivery, the options are utilised. “Most fresh veg don’t need chilling, but for items that do – like tofu, plant-based cheeses, and dairy alternatives – we use sustainable insulationmade from recycled materials and non-toxic, reusable ice packs.” Food waste has been hitting headlines for a few years now, and with consumers increasingly aware of the impact wasting food can have on the environment GRUBBY has built anti waste tools – both food and non-food – into its model. “We’re also mindful of waste,” says Martin. “Our ice packs are designed to be refrozen and reused by customers, or they can be emptied and the outer packaging recycled. By constantly reviewing and testing our packaging, we ensure that we’re using just the right amount of insulation to maintain freshness without excess.” Of course, the journey of temperature-controlled packaging doesn’t end with items being put into boxes – it’s important for suppliers and retailers to partner with sustainably-minded transport partners too. “Beyond packaging, we focus on smarter logistics to reduce transit times,” says Simon. “Partnering with carbon-conscious couriers like Hived and Zedify has Pong team go full belt and braces. “We use a double layer strengthened cardboard carton and inside the cheeses are nestled in food grade, biodegradable shredded paper and bespoke frozen gel ice packs made by Thergis. This combination ensures that our products remain at an optimal temperature throughout the delivery process, preserving their quality and freshness until they reach our customers,” explains Matt. “Our ice gel packs are leak-resistant, mess-free and long-lasting. These three factors are all critical to keep our cheeses perfectly chilled.” While there are certainly conscientious producers of packaging out there doing sterling work, there is still more to be done – and the appetite for it is keen. “We require all of our packaging to be as renewable as possible and it is all recyclable: the cardboard and paper shred can be recycled with household paper, and the ice gel packs can simply be cut open, the non-toxic ‘food safe’ solution poured down the drain, while the plastic outer can then be recycled as with other household plastics,” says Matt, but “this isn’t as biodegradable as it could be and we are therefore exploring other materials including seaweed and other renewable technologies.” With the demand for sustainable temperature-controlled packaging growing, and suppliers rising to the challenge, the future looks bright for the chilled fine food sector. with Purpose’ guiding our decision- making process, which embodies our dedication to creating packaging solutions that not only meet our customers’ needs but also contribute positively to the environment and society.” Safe and sustainable Sustainable temperature-controlled packaging is an invaluable tool in GRUBBY’s recipe kits, ensuring that ingredients arrive with the end consumer in optimum condition as well as satisfying the growing demand for sustainable. “At GRUBBY, keeping ingredients fresh isn’t just about temperature control – it’s about delivering everything as safely and sustainably as possible,” begins Martin Holden-White, founder. “We use eco-friendly insulated packaging and ice packs, but only where absolutely necessary, which is around 25% of boxes.” While temperature-controlled packaging isn’t required for all ingredients in GRUBBY’s kits, it plays an important role – and sustainable We are dedicated to creating packaging solutions that not only meet our customers’ needs but also contributing positively to the environment and society