French pâtissier Tipiak has launched its stunning heart-shaped macarons range into the UK food service sector ahead of Valentine’s Day. Available exclusively via frozen food distributor Central Foods, the heart-shaped macarons selection features ten strawberry and ten chocolate pieces. And just like Tipiak’s other authentic ‘thaw and serve’ macarons, they are produced in a certified gluten-free area to a traditional French recipe. Marie-Emmanuelle Chessé, international development project manager at Tipiak, said: “We are delighted to be launching our eye-catching Tipiak heart-shaped macarons for food service customers in the UK. Macarons are one of the most treasured French desserts in the world and these heart-shaped versions are especially appealing." “Made in France, they are unique to the UK frozen food service sector and can be served in a whole host of ways to brighten up and romanticise desserts, cakes, and beverage menus. Simply thaw and serve, et voilà!” Tipiak’s heart-shaped ‘thaw and serve’ macarons are perfect for Valentine’s Day but are also ideal throughout the year for weddings, afternoon teas, as accompaniments to tea and coffee, and for birthdays. They can also be used to decorate cakes or as toppings for shakes and smoothies – bringing a romantic touch to sweet treats. Made using natural colours from quality ingredients such as beetroot and dark chocolate, each 15g macaron contains just 67 calories. The heart-shaped macarons take two hours to defrost in the fridge, plus a further 15 minutes at room temperature. Keep chilled and consume within 24 hours. The new heart-shaped macarons join Tipiak’s classic French macarons and French pop macaron fruits selections which are already available to the UK food service sector via key wholesalers. For more information visit www.tipiakfoodservice.co.uk

Hill Cross Furniture, the family-owned contract furniture supplier, has announced strategic leadership changes as it prepares for accelerated future growth. The North-Yorkshire based business is also moving to a group model, with expansion into new sectors including residential and luxury lounge furniture on the back of rising client demand. Hill Cross was created 23 years ago to meet a rising need for high-quality contract furniture in the hospitality and healthcare markets. The market-leading business now counts Nando’s, Cote Restaurants, Wagamama, Frankie and Benny’s, Grantley Hall, Alchemist, Las Iguanas, Watches of Switzerland, D&D London, Newcastle United FC, Manchester City FC, Tortilla, The Restaurant Group, Honest Burgers, Shake Shack and Formula One amongst its global client base. Jen Barker, joint business owner with husband Richard Barker, the founder of Hill Cross, will become Group CEO. Steve Dale has been promoted from Commercial Director of Operations to Group Managing Director while. Laura Taylor has been promoted to Group Management Accountant. Matt Waters has been promoted to Head of Finance and HR for Hill Cross Group. In addition to the Group appointments there are several strategic changes within Hill Cross Furniture. Emily Thompson previously Hill Cross Senior Project Coordinator now takes role of Hill Cross Sales Office Manager and Josh Dowson previously Hill Cross Senior Project Coordinator moves to Hill Cross Sales and Product Manager. Jen Barker, Group CEO, Hill Cross Group said: “I’d like to congratulate Steve, Laura and Matt on their promotions. Their experience will be a great asset to Hill Cross as we embark on an ambitious expansion. “Our goal is to deliver beautiful furniture and excellent service across all the sectors we operate. With more than 23 years’ experience, Hill Cross Furniture is the leading supplier of bespoke contract furniture and banquette seating to the hospitality, healthcare, leisure, and workplace sectors. We are well-known for the extensive range of quality furniture supplied alongside our exceptional project management and installation service." "We are experiencing exciting growth which will see us expand into new sectors and now’s the time to make sure we have the right team in place to realise our ambitions." “Our lifeblood remains in contract furniture and these changes and promotions allow us to continue to develop our core business but at the same time give structure for growth and expansion. I’d like to congratulate the team on their promotions. Their experience and expertise will be a great asset as we embark on our ambitious growth strategy in 2024 ”

St Austell’s brewing director, Georgina Young, has been handed not one but two prestigious awards for her continued dedication to the beer industry. Georgina, who joined St Austell Brewery in 2019 after leaving her role as Head Brewer at Fuller’s took away the Brewer of the Year award at this year’s Guild of Beer Writer awards as well as receiving a Lifetime Achievement award at the Brewer’s Congress in October. Georgina was the first up to receive her award for the Brewer of the Year category - she was one of six brewers shortlisted. Georgina commented: “I am absolutely made up by this award. I couldn’t do any of this without my great team and everyone at the brewery. We work for an amazing business.” Georgina’s win was preceded by the Lifetime Achievement award presented to her at the Brewer’s Congress earlier this year. The award recognises a brewer who has shaped the industry, supported others around them and strengthened the UK brewing scene. The award was even more special for Georgina, as it was named in honour of St Austell’s late head brewer, Roger Ryman – Georgina’s good friend and mentor. On receiving her Lifetime Achievement award, Georgina added: “It’s a huge honour to have won the award, and it’s the perfect homage to Roger." “The brewing industry is really special, so it’s wonderful to be recognised. I’ve had huge support during my career, from Fuller’s and John Keeling as well as everyone at St Austell.” Georgina’s passion for brewing started during her student years at King’s College London. She studied biotechnology at undergraduate level, before completing a Master’s degree in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh. Georgina’s career began in her hometown of Bristol, at Smiles Brewery, where she learnt from the floor upwards - starting in the lab before progressing to shift brewing. She then moved to Brewing Research International (now Camden BRI) to run the pilot brewing facilities. In 1999, Georgina joined Fuller’s as a production brewer under the wing of brewing director, John Keeling. During her time at Fuller’s she installed a new tank farm to increase fermentation capacity, beers such as Gales HSB and Prize Old Ale, and developed new beers such as Honeydew as well as a selection of seasonals. Following Georgina’s second maternity leave, she took a break from brewing and became a Science teacher at a comprehensive school in Richmond, Surrey where she stayed for four years. It was not long before the draw of Fuller’s brought her back to the Griffin Brewery and in October 2013, Georgina rejoined the company as brewing and packaging manager. When Fuller’s acquired Dark Star brewery she transited the brewing of Hophead pale ale to Chiswick. She was promoted to head brewer in 2017 and was the first woman in Fuller’s history to take on the role. In May 2019, Georgina joined St Austell Family Group as head brewer for Hare Brewery, optimising the new brewing and bottling facilities which had been installed the year before. Fermentation capacity increased to 50K barrels by the end of 2019, with the installation of further kit. Georgina introduced a second shift and went on to install a new kegger and robotic palletiser. Following the untimely passing of her long-time friend Roger Ryman, who had led brewing operations at St Austell since 1999, Georgina was promoted to brewing director in July 2020. She now oversees brewing at both Hare Brewery and St Austell Brewery. Since taking on this enlarged role, she has successfully commissioned a new canning line and launched a new permanent cask beer – Anthem British pale ale. Georgina has been Chairman of the Southern Section of the IBD, is currently a Director at Cask Marque and a member of the Worshipful Company of Brewers.

More than two thousand revelers from across Cornwall and beyond descended on St Austell Brewery for its popular Celtic Beer Festival last weekend. The day-long festival sees the Victorian cellars of the brewery transformed into a packed venue with five bars featuring more than 100 beers and complete with live music. A huge £20,000 was raised for charity through the event – which is more than a 50% uplift in fundraising efforts compared to 2019. Despite being four years since the last event owing to the pandemic, the thirst for endless beer and a good sing along with the Fisherman’s Friends was still top priority for those who joined. Beer from more than 50 breweries was donated to the festival, with all profits from ticket sales going to the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust, which supports local charities and worthy causes across the South West. The trust recently celebrated raising a landmark £1 million since it was established in 2003 - previous fundraising events have included a trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, raffles, ale tastings and quizzes, but the annual Celtic Beer Festival remains the trust’s flagship fundraising activity. Punters queued around the brewery to get into the popular event and grab one of the many thousands of pints pulled throughout the day. Georgina Young, brewing director at St Austell Brewery said: “The 22nd Celtic Beer Festival surpassed all our expectations. It was a huge team effort to prepare and run the event and I thank everyone in the company for their support." “The array of 112 different beers from us and our other brewing friends across the country were really well received. I’m very proud of our brewing teams in St Austell and at Hare Brewery – our second production site in Warmley - who created a wide spread of beers including a cherry Rauchbier, a mango weizen, a mild and a wee heavy! All of which were excellent.”

The pay inflation that the UK’s workforce has experienced over the last year may have peaked, with economists predicting a stagnant picture for economic growth in 2024. However, staff confidence remains high amid the growing skills crisis. That’s according to the latest Robert Half Jobs Confidence Index (JCI) – an economic confidence tracker produced in partnership with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr). Key Findings: Unusually high worker confidence at odds with the economic uncertainty. 58.4% of employees feel confident about their job looking ahead to the next six months. Nearly half (47.4%) of workers feel confident about their future career prospects and ability to progress in their career over the coming five years. A strong uptick on the 41.9% from earlier in the year. High job security and progression confidence exacerbate the implications of skills shortages, as businesses struggle to attract and retain top talent. 47% of employers plan to increase permanent headcount in 2024, yet 75% are concerned about their ability to find and hold onto the right talent. The latest iteration of the report reveals that more than half (58.4%) of workers feel confident in their job security for the next six months amidst low unemployment, high vacancies and nominal wage growth outpacing inflation. This is a long-standing trend as employees see skills shortages as a reason to feel secure in their jobs, with the JCI’s job security confidence pillar the strongest positive driver for the Index overall score for eight consecutive quarters. Although this optimism is at odds with the UK’s economic slowdown, the overall picture of confidence remaining strong is in line with Cebr projections for the labour market over the next six months. Unemployment is expected to tick up slightly as high interest rates continue to push down on consumer and business demand, feeding through to employment, yet the labour market will remain tight by historical standards. Given this picture, the 5.5% increase in job search confidence to 47.4% in Q3 2023 is surprising and may exacerbate the labour challenges for firms in the New Year if workers are highly confident about their ability to progress. In line with the JCI, Robert Half’s 2024 Salary Guide also reveals that while 69% of businesses feel confident in their growth prospects for 2024 and 47% plan to increase permanent headcount next year, a staggering 75% are already concerned about their ability to attract and retain skilled talent. As Matt Weston, Senior Managing Director UK & Ireland, at Robert Half, explained, this scenario could hinder business growth and stability in 2024: “We’re starting to see signs that pay inflation has peaked, although the good news for workers is wage growth is expected to remain above inflation in the coming months. Nevertheless, while the current economic uncertainty is a top concern for businesses, the workforce isn’t showing the signs of diminishing confidence as we would usually see at this time. The health of the labour market and that of the wider economy have often been linked, yet at present they are less synced than anticipated." “Today’s labour market snapshot is the culmination of factors from the last few years, including Brexit, the Great Resignation and the pandemic. Things have changed and access to the skilled talent businesses need to remain competitive is becoming ever more challenging." "Increased post-pandemic economic inactivity, innovation outpacing traditional learning routes and limited social mobility have the potential to further weaken the labour market’s ability to match jobs with skilled workers. “Our research shows job and business growth confidence are on the rise, yet the widespread skills shortages and economic inactivity will take much longer to tackle. Employers are less likely to be in the driving seat in 2024 and being agile with their talent strategies and workforce models will be key.”

A partnership between Simpsons Malt Limited and BASF Agricultural Solutions has been announced, marking the start of a unique carbon reduction and certification programme. Simpsons Malt is one of the largest, independent, family-owned malting companies in the world, with the capacity to produce around 300,000 tonnes of malt annually and supply it to distillers and brewers across the globe. The agreement with BASF will support Simpsons Malt, a fifth-generation business and Certified B Corporation, to deliver on its commitment to achieve carbon neutral malting barley and distilling wheat production by 2030. Simpsons Malt has made substantial investments in Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction across its sites and, in having an agricultural merchanting division – McCreath Simpson & Prentice – built into the business, it is uniquely placed within the malting industry to be able to engage directly with growers, crop input suppliers and the wider agricultural sector to make significant and lasting reductions in Scope 3 emissions, which are predominantly generated from on-farm production. The joint project will enable growers to implement novel interventions to reduce emissions helping to future proof their businesses and lower their environmental impact. Ben Gothorp, Sustainability Manager at Simpsons Malt, said: “The distilling sector has ambitious climate targets and, given the strength of their brands and the storytelling that underpins them, a more sustainable, decarbonised supply chain is important to achieve and for us to be a part of.” BASF’s role in the partnership is to record all on-farm crop management practices via its Carbon Farming Platform, to determine the impact different on-farm decisions would have on the carbon position of the final, harvested crop. BASF will validate Simpsons Malt’s work by monitoring and reporting that reduction of value chain or Scope 3 GHG emissions has been achieved, as part of the Gold Standard Value Change Programme. For Simpsons Malt, the value is in cross-sectoral collaboration and the two businesses complementing each other's strengths. He added that the benefits will be gained by the whole supply chain. Whether a distillery takes malt supplied by five farmers or 150 farmers, the combined total of greenhouse gas emissions and reduction, as well as the grain’s provenance, is fundamental to the integrity of the final product. “It’s all about helping farmers to build resilience in their business, more sustainable practices and to ensure that we can give full transparency to our customers.” Joel Johnson, Business Director for BASF Agricultural Solutions UK & Ireland, said: “The drinks industry, especially whisky, is of huge importance to the UK. This partnership will demonstrate how beginning with growers, all partners are in dealing with the challenges of producing food and drink sustainably. “Our agreement is different to many agrifood carbon-reduction programmes, because it combines BASF expertise and know how as part of the Carbon Farming Platform to not only record on-farm practices, but crucially to provide Simpsons Malt’s growers with practical guidance on how their choices – say method of cultivation or fertiliser programmes – can change the farm’s carbon footprint.” Gustavo Palerosi Carneiro, Senior Vice President for BASF Agricultural Solutions, EMEA, adds “This partnership marks a pivotal moment in BASFs commitment to transforming global agriculture, something we can only do in close collaboration with our customers and with growers. Playing our part in supporting Simpsons Malt’s vision to create a more sustainable supply chain is something we are honoured and excited to be part of.” The Carbon Farming Platform was developed by BASF to improve fact-based understanding of the trade-offs within and across farming systems and processes. The aim of the platform is to make agricultural practices more sustainable. Simpsons Malt and BASF will be working with groups of Simpsons Malt’s growers over the coming winter and spring (2023-24 season) to record how they can reduce Scope 3 emissions in distilling supply chains.

Leading provider of cold storage and distribution services to food producers and retailers, Reed Boardall, has become one of just 100 organisations across Yorkshire and the Humber to be given a Silver award, accredited by the MOD, as part of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) in recognition of its commitment to being an armed forces-friendly organisation. With over 20 veterans and regular and reservist serving personnel now part of the Reed Boardall team and a further eight soon to join, it is a further demonstration of the commitment of the Boroughbridge-based business to supporting defence personnel and inspiring others to do the same. The coveted Silver award, which must be nominated by a third party, was given to the company as part of its pledge to advocating support to defence and the armed forces community, and aligning its values with the Armed Forces Covenant. Since signing the ERS covenant last year, the business has welcomed a number of services personnel to its 800-strong team and in November 2022 it achieved a Bronze award. Reed Boardall was presented with the Silver award at a special event hosted by the Lord Lieutenant of York and attended by senior military representatives. Marcus Boardall, chief executive of Reed Boardall, comments: “Reed Boardall has long recognised that many of the values and skills of forces personnel align well with our own culture. As a supportive family business, we’ve worked hard in recent years to formalise our links with former and serving defence personnel, providing well-structured career opportunities for those leaving the armed forces and giving them the peace of mind of working in an environment that understands them. It’s very satisfying to see our policies helping people move into a new career and also resulting in so much new talent coming into the company.” Reed Boardall’s in-house Driver Academy is proving very popular with defence personnel seeking a new career, providing much-needed skills and qualifications to become an HGV driver. For example, the company has introduced a ‘buddy’ system for, designed to help make the transition into civilian life smoother. It has also adapted its employment policies to accommodate the training and deployment needs of those still serving where possible. The company has also built links with the prison services to increase the employment of ex-offenders, and is has partnering with organisations such as Career Transition Partnership (CTP), Army Families Federation, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Prison Service and People Plus, as well as charities Veteran into Logistics and Clean Slate Solutions. Marcus Boardall continues: “This Silver award is another fantastic achievement for the team. It is a real accolade to be nominated for such a prestigious award from the MOD by CTP and some of the charities with which we work, and is a further demonstration of how much we value services personnel and our commitment to supporting military families. We hope that more businesses put initiatives in place to welcome those embarking on a new career, whether they are veterans, services personnel or ex-offenders, and we are already working towards the ERS Gold award.” Reed Boardall is continuing to undertake a number of initiatives such as participating in CTP recruitment days at Catterick Garrison and job fairs in Newcastle As a Silver award holder, Reed Boardall has pledged to support the armed forces, including existing or prospective employees who are members of the community, and it has signed the Armed Forces Covenant which acknowledges and understands that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they serve with their lives. The award also demonstrates that the company promotes being armed forces-friendly and is open to employing reservists, armed forces veterans (including the wounded, injured and sick), cadet instructors and military spouses/partners. Reed Boardall is one of the largest temperature-controlled food distribution businesses in the UK, storing and delivering frozen food from manufacturers across Britain, Europe and further afield to all the UK’s best-known supermarkets. With a fleet of over 200 vehicles operating 24 hours a day, year-round, it delivers 12,000 pallets of frozen food daily for its clients as well as providing a range of complementary services including ancillary blast freezing, picking and packing. The company employs almost 800 staff at its single site in Boroughbridge, Yorkshire.

Exclusive Collection is raising the profile of ladies’ golf after welcoming golf influencer Lauren Prince as the face of its women’s golf offering for 2024, in a partnership that aims to boost female participation in the sport. Prince, whose Instagram page ‘ @guiltyofgolf ’ has inspired thousands of female golfers since launching in 2020, will bring her distinctive style to the Exclusive Collection’s acclaimed portfolio of venues – including The Manor House Golf Club in Wiltshire, where you can experience golf on another level. Both parties have finalised a 12-month agreement that will see regular content from Exclusive Collection venues broadcast to Prince’s growing Instagram following, while the 33-year-old will also be a welcome addition to several of The Manor House’s key tournaments and functions throughout the year. In addition, Prince’s duties as ambassador will see her heavily involved in multiple new events specifically geared towards getting more women into golf, with more details to be announced in the coming months. Since her first Instagram post during the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020, Prince’s passion for golf has translated into content which has earned the support of thousands of followers. Over the last three years, her content – which often pulls back the curtain on the ins and outs of being a woman in a male-dominated sport – has taken her across the UK and beyond. Prince said: “I’m very excited to be working with Exclusive Collection. Growing women’s golf is something I have been passionate about for a long time, and it’s clear that we share the same vision for getting as many women involved with this fantastic sport as possible." “Living in Bath, I’ve known The Manor House for many years and been aware of its reputation as an exceptional golf venue. I’m looking forward to getting on the course again, and exploring everything else Exclusive Collection has to offer!” Stephanie Hall, group director of sales and marketing at Exclusive Collection, said: “Lauren is a perfect fit for the Exclusive Collection – we couldn’t ask for anyone better to help us achieve our goals in growing women’s golf." “Her passion for and knowledge of the sport is exemplary, and we can’t wait to see how she brings her trademark style to our venues, particularly at some of The Manor House’s biggest and most competitive events over the next 12 months.” Tucked away in picturesque Cotswold countryside, The Manor House Golf Club has been a firm favourite with golfers since its course opened in 1992. Designed by former golfers and broadcasters Peter Alliss and Clive Clark, the dramatic par-72 layout is renowned for its picturesque scenery and an array of thrilling holes.

Festive treats at Stacey's Bakery have been given a dusting of Christmas magic, as a raft of new sweet and savoury products are set to hit the shelves. The team at the fourth generation family run bakery have now delivered a sweet make-over to some yuletide favourites - including the traditional mince pie. David Stacey, managing director, said: “Christmas is the perfect time for indulging in treats that you may feel are too naughty for the rest of the year. Our new additions are guaranteed to create that extra special taste of luxury that is deserved at Christmas time." Top of the list to tantalise the tastebuds is a deep-filled mince pie with a twist. The traditional staple retains the bakery’s famous sweet pastry, but there’s more of it with an indulgent deep-filled case. Layers are the order of the day, with juicy mincemeat then topped with a truly scrumptious almond sponge replacing the pastry lid. The new, limited edition mince pie is finished off with a sprinkling of flaked almonds and a dusting of icing sugar. Next on the list for those who have been good this year, are Christmas stars. Decadent puff pastry star shapes are topped with vanilla custard and fruity mincemeat, presenting a mouthwatering gift to those with a sweet tooth. If, however, your wish list contains savoury choices, David has the perfect gift for your palate. A new take on the festive sausage roll. He said: “While we usually treat our customers to a festive sausage roll, this year we have tweaked the Christmas savoury. As an extra special gift, this year we’ve piled in the filling within a puff pastry outer.” Stacey’s will be rolling out the new festive range on December 1st. Pop in to one of their stores in Ilkeston, Heanor or Eastwood to try one of the new Christmas treats. For more information, visit www.staceys-bakery.co.uk

Leading glass packaging company, Croxsons, has been instrumental in providing primary packaging for The Shropshire Distillery’s range of premium gins since the distillery's inception in 2018. The Shropshire Distillery, based in Ellesmere, Shropshire, has quickly made a name for itself in the gin market. The distillery launched its flagship Shire Gin in July 2018, which was followed by the introduction of its Spiced Gin and Cherry & Pink Peppercorn Gin. In a significant move at the end of 2021, the distillery’s founders undertook a rebranding exercise to reaffirm the Shropshire Distillery brand and strengthen connections with its audience. This included introducing new bottles and labels and renaming their Shire Gin to The Shropshire Distillery Dry Gin, further cementing their presence in the craft gin market. A recent move to larger premises has extended its services and experiences, which now includes a retail shop on site, refill service and a taphouse. In addition to supplying The Shropshire Distillery with distinctive 70cl bottles, Croxsons also provides the distillery with 5cl bottles and caps for their miniatures, showcasing their ability to cater to diverse packaging needs. Reflecting on the partnership, Emma Glynn from The Shropshire Distillery said: "Working with Croxsons has been a seamless experience since we started trading in 2018. Their attention to detail and commitment to resolving any challenges has ensured a smooth and successful collaboration. We're particularly impressed with the finished product packaging – it's exactly what we envisioned." Croxsons’ CEO, Tim Croxson, added: “The successful collaboration between ourselves and The Shropshire Distillery is a testament to Croxsons’ expertise in providing comprehensive packaging solutions that extend beyond just bottles, encompassing closures and a customer journey of the highest quality. We look forward to being involved in future projects with the distillery as they continue to develop new products.”

Entrepreneurial family business The Pantry have been named ‘Growing Business of the Year: £10-£15m Turnover’ at the 2023 Growing Business Awards. Their triumph marks the second successive year The Pantry have walked away as winners at the event, having been named ‘Family Business of the Year’ in 2022. The 26th annual Growing Business Awards - in partnership with Real Deals - are the most credible and highly-valued recognition of exceptional growing businesses. This year’s awards celebrated the strength, vision, and resilience of fast-growing SMEs – so these are the accolades that UK SMEs really wanted to win! The Growing Business Awards have 27 categories which celebrate UK business achievements over the last 12 months in areas including HR, diversity and customer loyalty, disruption, technology, and innovation to name a few. As the only Contract Caterer nominated in their category, The Pantry faced some exceptionally-stiff competition from around the country – and their triumph signs off a year in which they’ve also been named ‘Caterer of the Year’ by both LACA and Public Sector Catering, and ‘Most Ambitious Business Leader’ by LDC and The Times. Managing Director Luke Consiglio said: “What a remarkable way to cap off a remarkable year! We’ve had so much recognition for the work our amazing staff have done this year, but to round it out with an award at the same ceremony where we won our very first award 12 months ago – it just brings it full circle." "I want to thank every member of The Pantry Family that’s made 2023 our best year yet – and I can’t wait to see what we can do in 2024 to top it!”

Loughborough-based packaging design company, Colton Packaging, has bolstered its ranks with the addition of experienced Key Account Manager, Giorgio Provenzano. The company strengthened its Business Development function earlier in 2023 with the addition of three new Business Development Managers - Laura Kalnina, Hayden Perry and Leigh Booth - while also adding to its administration and logistics teams. Colton’s Director, Duncan Smith, recently identified a need to add further in-house customer service and account management expertise to ensure that customers continue to receive a proactive, solutions-focused service. After a thorough recruitment process, Giorgio was identified as the ideal candidate to support the company’s long-term growth ambitions, having been known to the Colton family for over 20 years. With a career in corrugated packaging spanning over thirty years, Giorgio started out as a Trainee Sales Representative for Rigid Containers before moving into Account Management positions. He joined TRM Packaging in 2003, which was subsequently sold to DS Smith Packaging for whom he managed national key accounts. Embarking on this latest challenge with Colton Packaging marks an exciting new chapter for Giorgio and he can’t wait to get started and bring his many years of expertise to the team. “My career has seen me fulfil a wide range of roles for companies right across the corrugated industry - all with an account management focus,” “I built many long-lasting relationships with my customers and I think that my people skills are one of my greatest strengths. I’m also a real team player, having previously supported colleagues within sales and design with the delivery of bespoke solutions that meet exacting customer requirements,” he adds. “I’m excited to get going with Laura, Duncan and the team at Colton and look forward to embarking on a fresh and exciting challenge at what is a very promising time for the company.” Colton Packaging is an independent, family-run firm, specialising in corrugated cardboard packaging. The company supplies into a range of sectors including manufacturing, e-commerce and food services, delivering in-house design and stock and fill solutions. Established in the 1850’s and owned by the fifth-generation of the Colton family, the business prides itself on its ability to deliver innovative packaging solutions by understanding customer challenges and offering high-quality, cost-effective solutions. Speaking about Giorgio joining the business, Duncan added, “Giorgio is a great addition for us, bringing solution-based selling expertise and an in-depth understanding of corrugated packaging. His experience really can’t be underestimated.” Duncan continues, “It feels like this year has been crucial for us in terms of having the right people in the right strategic positions - and we’re now perfectly placed to go to the next level and enhance our customer offering further as we move into 2024.”