Protolan attended Anuga FoodTec in Cologne, Germany – the world’s leading supplier fair for the food & beverage industry.

 

Project Portfolio Manager, Simon Woodhouse, and CEE Associate Director, Zbyszek Mirota used the event as an opportunity to interact with clients as well as connect with suppliers.

 

Zbyszek shared “The event went great. We had lots of conversations with suppliers who are involved in projects we’re currently working on. Some I met in person for the first time. It’s always good to build relationships on behalf of the client and events like Anuga are a valuable opportunity to do this“.

 

At Protolan, we are committed in staying updated on the latest innovations and advancements of our industry. But that isn’t the only reason we attend event’s like Anuga FoodTec…

Insights for Service Delivery

➡️These events provide us with valuable insights into new technologies and trends. This knowledge enhances our ability to deliver solutions, making our clients more competitive and efficient.

Delivering Value to Clients

➡️Our attendance isn’t just about staying informed; it’s about delivering value to our clients. By adopting the latest industry advancements, we ensure our solutions are not only effective but also align with our clients’ long-term commercial objectives.

Keeping Up with Innovations

➡️We learn about the advancements in manufacturing processes, sustainability efforts, and process development. This first-hand knowledge informs our project approach, ensuring we’re always ahead of the curve.

Driving Manufacturing Excellence

➡️Protolan’s engagement with industry events reflects our commitment to delivering Manufacturing Excellence. By staying at the forefront of innovation, we position ourselves as trusted experts, equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the food and beverage industry.

 

Our services have been developed over 13+ years to deliver projects for our clients across all sectors in the Food and Beverage industry. Are you ready to start your next project? Contact Protolan today and begin your journey to Manufacturing Excellence.

The 2023 Food Management Today Industry Awards took place on the 6th of June at the 5-star Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, and we couldn’t be prouder to sponsor and attend the event for the eighth year in a row! The event was hosted by the amazing entertainer and magician Pete Firman.

 

Our very own Simon Woodhouse, Project Engineering Manager at Protolan, had the honour of presenting the Best New Product Development Award. But that was just one of the exciting categories that showcased the incredible products nominated, such as Best Dairy Product, Best Bakery Product, Best Red Meat Product, Best Poultry Product, Best Frozen Product, Best Seafood Product, Best Ready to Eat Product, and Best Free From Product.

 

These awards are highly regarded in the UK food manufacturing sector, as they are voted on by the readers of Food Management Today magazine. They reflect the industry’s innovation and dedication, making them a top accolade. The event also featured the prestigious Food Industry Champion Award, which recognises an individual who have made significant contributions to the food industry, this year the award was nominated to Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales.

 

We extend our congratulations to all the winners of the evening. At Protolan, we remain committed to promoting excellence and innovation in the food and beverage industry and we look forward to the continued growth and advancement across the industry.

 

Find out more on the Food Management Today Awards here.

On Saturday, the Protolan team donned their smartest clothes to attend the Management Development Services (MDS) Anniversary Ball, celebrating 37 years of supporting graduates throughout the food and fresh produce industry.

 

MDS is a partnership of companies which aims to equip young people with the experience, training, mindset, and ability to become confident business leaders within the food and drink industry.

 

The event consisted of a three-course meal alongside a keynote speech from MDS Chair Christine Tacon and an inspirational talk from Hannah Jackson, also known as ‘The Red Shepherdess’ who highlighted the importance of recruiting and engaging with a diverse pool of fresh talent into the food and fresh produce sector. A silent auction supporting charities YANA and the Farm Safety Foundation together with a live band finished off the evening.

 

Office Manager, Dawn Wright said “A wonderful evening was had by our Protolan Team at the MDS Anniversary Ball. It was great to finally meet people face to face after speaking to them remotely for the last couple of years and to spend the evening surrounded by the next generation of talent in our industry”.

 

Protolan have worked with MDS over several years, securing graduates who work across all areas of our business. We are proud MDS Members with our Director, Richard Whittle being an active board member.

 

We offer roles for our MDS graduates which challenge their perceptions of the food manufacturing industry. Previous MDS graduate and now full-time member of the Protolan team, Hugh Cruickshank said “What struck me most about Protolan was its dedication to people. The organisation has innate empathy extended to clients, suppliers, contractors, and, most importantly, to its own staff. The commitment to support and collaboration can be seen in the flat organisational structure and the robust personal training framework, but it is the attitude of the team that make these systems work”. Read more on Hugh’s experiences at Protolan here.

 

This event was a great testament to the ongoing success of MDS of which Protolan hope to be part of for many more years to come. To find out more about the MDS programme, click here.

Last week, Protolan team members Eleri Murphy and James Cooper visited the University of Nottingham to attend the Women in Engineering Society (WES) Speed Networking Event alongside fellow WES sponsors, ExxonMobil, and Rolls Royce.

 

This event was aimed at students seeking a placement or graduate role in Engineering, allowing them to find more about the companies, what they do, their company culture and the roles they provide. Alongside a presentation from each of the companies, the students had an opportunity to break into small groups to ask questions.

 

Project Engineering Manager and University of Nottingham student, Eleri said “As President of WES, I’m responsible for the overall running of the society. It gives me the platform to empower women to succeed and advance in engineering and be recognised for their contributions as engineers and leaders”.

 

Protolan has worked in partnership with the University of Nottingham since 2014. Our work experience programme is designed to offer students the opportunity to find out more about the food and drink industry, the type of work Protolan undertakes and to provide valuable exposure to the fast-paced environment we work in.

 

The deadline for the Year in Industry placement application is the Friday 17th February, to apply and find out more, click here.

Our team are our greatest asset, and their health and wellbeing is our top priority.

This November is Men’s Health Awareness Month with International Men’s Day falling on November 19th. Men’s Health Awareness Month is dedicated to bringing awareness to a wide range of men’s health issues.

Across the UK, men’s mental and physical health is unacceptably poor. Everyone should be able to talk about their mental health and their problems, although statistically men are less likely to speak about their mental health than women are because of the social ‘norms’ that tell us that men should not give in to their emotions.

Here are some of the ways that Protolan support our team’s health and wellbeing.

• Employee Assistance Programme – Our programme provides active, clinical-based support, Health Assured’s EAP helpline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our counsellors can support with Depression, Debt and Finances, Stress and Anxiety and more. Access to mini health checks, webinars and podcasts
• Access to a Mental Health First Aider – The role of a Mental Health First Aider in the workplace is to be a point of contact for an employee who is experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. This interaction could range from having an initial conversation through to supporting the person to get appropriate help
• Health and Wellbeing SharePoint site with links and access to lots of information, tips and free apps around health and wellbeing

We encourage all our team members to speak openly about their mental health, if they feel comfortable to do so, and we are constantly seeking ways to support them in doing so, from creating safe working environments to making conversations around mental health the ‘norm’.

Last month, the team descended on the beautiful rolling hills of Matlock, Derbyshire spending two days trekking through woodland, clambering through caves, dropping down cliffs and climbing up rocks all in the name of team building.

We love having the opportunity to get our remotely working team an chance to come together to work on team building, problem solving and communication skills, all whilst tackling our fears and having a good laugh and chat out in the fresh air!

Upon the completion of the first day and for accomplishing all the tasks put unto us, working as one team to crack the code and open the brief case containing copious treats, the Protolan Team celebrated with a team dinner.

Activities our team conquered over the two days included…

• Abseiling
• Orienteering
• Scrambling
• Rock Climbing
• Canoeing

We would like to thank our Office Manager, Dawn Wright for organising the trip, she said… “ Our team building event was just what we all needed – a day of fresh air, supporting and helping each other and LOTS of laughs!”

At Protolan we work hard and we play hard. To look at a potential career on the Protolan team, look here: https://protolan.com/careers/

In the company of renowned chef and TV broadcaster Matt Tebbutt, the 2022 Food Management Today Industry Awards brought the top names of the UK food industry together on Wednesday 25th May to reward the best, as voted for by readers of the magazine and judged by industry experts.

The Awards are a top accolade in the UK food sector and voted for by readers of Food Management Today magazine.  The awards also feature the unique Food Industry Champion Award.

There was a total of 16 categories and all awards reflect everything that is exceptional across the whole UK industry.  As sponsors, it was an enviable opportunity to be in the same room with like-minded food experts, and a great chance to network.

Steph MacLauchlan, Project Manager at Protolan presented the award for Best New Product Development to ASDA for their Extra Special British Thick Cut Sirloin Steak Chipotle BBQ Marinade and Mixed Pepper Rub.

Congratulations to all fellow award winners of the evening!

The annual event offers a brilliant opportunity for food industry professionals to celebrate their immense efforts and hard work during a night of networking.

Returning as an in-person occasion, the event will take place at the 5-star Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on Wednesday 25^th May and the Protolan team will be there to support the awards.

Protolan is supporting the award for Best New Product Development, presented by our Project Manager Steph MacLauchlan, this is awarded to the team that exceed expectations in bringing an original and daring product to UK market.

This reflects our vision  on driving Manufacturing Excellence and delivering solutions to client challenges, aligned to commercial objectives.

Protolan Director, Richard Whittle said “Bringing a fresh new product to market is always a challenge. We are supporting the award for Best New Product Development to champion the innovation that keeps the industry driving forward”.

The awards ceremony this year will be hosted by Matt Tebbuttm the popular BBC 1 host of Saturday Kitchen and BBC 2 Best Bites.

Read more about the Food Management Today Awards here.

Good luck to all nominees!

This Sunday 10 October is World Mental Health Day, an international day for global mental health education and awareness.

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At Protolan we take the health and wellbeing of our team seriously. Our team works hard on some tough projects, and we want them to feel supported every step of the way. We totally support them to take the time to look after themselves, their families, and friends.

Addressing mental health is not easy for anyone and our aim is to make talking about mental health as important as discussing physical health. At some point in life, we will all, either directly or indirectly, be affected by mental health issues.

Protolan’s Mental Health First Aider, Dawn Wright said…

“As well as supporting the Team at Protolan I have also used my skills to support friends and family, especially during the pandemic. Whether it be through regular calls and video calls to organising quizzes and online get-togethers, keeping connected is massively important for mental and emotional wellbeing”.

A Mental Health First Aider in the workplace is the go-to person for anyone who is going through some form of mental health issue.

Each year, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind in England. Mind’s ‘Do One Thing’ campaign aims to inspire people to make one small change or take one action to look after their mental health, whether it’s going for a walk, learning a new skill, taking steps to get support, or reaching out to someone else – everything helps!

Click here to find advice and support the ‘Do One Thing’ campaign.

If we all do one thing, we can change everything.

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