Learned, dapper and with a bowel to set your watch by, healthy-eating prophet Dr Allinson was over a century ahead of his time and a self-proclaimed authority on everything from farting to skinny dipping. Here’s his vital advice on kids’ salt intake.On salt: “Civilised man has accustomed himself to eating salt, but he is no better for doing so. Fruits, grains, and vegetables contain all the salt necessary for our systems. If we add more, we err and do ourselves an injury. And do not force children to take it, nor tell them it is necessary.”
Crantock’s pasty sales rocket
Crantock Bakery has announced it has been doing a roaring trade on Cornish pasties during the recession, with sales up 30% on last year.With turnover currently at £15 million, chairman and managing director Nick Ringer said the company has had its best year. “We’ve never been busier,” he added.The Indian Queens-based firm’s turnover has more than quadrupled since the business was bought by the management team in 2002 for £6 million, and it has taken on 70 full time staff in that time, boosting its total to 150 employees.In 2007, a £2m investment in production machinery and freezer storage was completed at its factory, increasing capacity to the enable production of up to 150,000 pasties a day. “You can’t stand still,” said Ringer. “You have to develop new products, new ways of selling and explore new markets. In the last year we have created a new position for a new product development manager, whose sole focus is to create new lines and refine our existing product range.”Crantock supplies to independent pasty shops and bakeries, pasty chain retailers such as Cornish Bakehouse and the Oggy Oggy Pasty Company, and to Morrisons and Asda stores nationwide.
Cupcake backlash
It has been a long time coming. As part of its tireless efforts to tell us what fashions are going up and what are going down, The Sunday Times’ Style magazine last weekend belatedly? led the anti-cupcake backlash.A feature-length article written by one Laura Atkinson a journalist with impeccable bakery trend-spotting credentials (her 9-to-5 job is news editor for that estimable sociological journal Heat magazine) declared “Now the backlash has started”.The evidence? One new anti-cupcake blog in the US, the food blogger Sophie Jordan whose anti-cupcake tirade Stop the Week mentioned in September last year, and a “cupcakes are over” quote from Ravinder Bhogal, whose own publishing web page describes her as a “beauty journalist with a passion for good food”. Plus some catty observations based on “a recent visit to one of the many cupcake bakeries”.”There’s something unsettling at the heart of cupcake culture,” declares Atkinson, citing “women in their 30s, cooing over the cutesy, calorie-jammed treats as if they were newborn babies”.It is an inspiring critique done on the back of a Hummingbird Bakery receipt though it may be that unearths anyone who is mortally offended by a confectionery format, and for this, Laura should be applauded.Alas, the future looks bleak for the cupcake dodgers. Last week CNN posted a story headed, “Can we please stop calling the nation’s love affair with cupcakes a trend?”, suggesting it’s now firmly established in the mainstream in the US.Sales of cupcakes were up by over 40% in the UK last year and, from 13-19 September, British Baker will be celebrating National Cupcake Week again and with increased relish, knowing now that it winds some people up.
Shot through the heart
If you find yourself in a New York coffee shop being offered ’porn in a cup’, then fear not. This is not Starbucks branching out into illicit publishing. It is, in fact, the latest example of bigger, faster, badder retailing in the US the 10-shot espresso.The official name for this beverage is Dieci the Italian for 10 and is the brainchild of The Pulp & The Bean coffee shop in Brooklyn. Owner Tony Fischer is quoted in the US press saying: “This is for the person who wants to experience the limits of where coffee and espresso can go.”We’ve worked out that the 20oz drink equates to one gram of caffeine. For the record, caffeine intoxication is said to take place after drinking in excess of 250mg in one go. However, 10g of caffeine is known to be the ’lethal dose’ that would reportedly kill 50% of people. So you could easily down a cheeky second cup on the way to work, assuming you can handle the side-effects of diuresis, cardiac arrhythmia and ’psychomotor agitation’.
Northumbrian lays out plans
The new owners of biscuit and cereal bar maker Northumbrian Fine Foods have promised sustained NPD following a management buy-out.MD of the Gateshead-based business David Sillars bought the business from Duke Street, rescheduled outstanding debts of around £650,000 owed to third parties and invested another £750,000, with help from private equity firms. It is targeting sales growth of at least 10% to over £12m this year.Northumbrian, which employs 150 staff, produces the Prewetts gluten-free biscuit brand. New capital means it can now invest in people, products and facilities, said Sillars. “We plan to invest in sprinklings and toppings machinery. We’ll be doing a lot of NPD in cookies, cereal bars and gluten-free.”We’ve just launched a new gluten-free biscuit range for Asda, we’re working on a new cereal bar for The Co-op and have launched two new cereal bars for M&S.”
Handmade touch for frozen range
A new selection of frozen handmade cakes are the latest offering from Country Range.The cakes come in 14 pre-portioned slices and are available in the following varieties: carrot cake, filled and topped with a sweet frosting; coffee & walnut, with layers of coffee butter icing; Victoria sandwich, with layers of jam and butter icing; chocolate, topped with layers of chocolate fudge butter icing; and lemon drizzle, featuring lemon zest pieces and crystallised sugar.Martin Ward, Country Range brand manager, said: “Market research shows that caterers are more likely to buy own-brand within the frozen category, so we wanted and needed to expand in line with caterers’ needs.”
National Cupcake Champion 2011 announced
Britain’s National Cupcake Champion 2011 has been announced – and the winning craft baker, who has been a baking for less than a year, won with a vegan cupcake that used no butter or eggs.Jennifer Buls (27), who launched her fledgling business, Absolute Treats, with her mum, Virginia, while she studied for her MA, took two category awards and the overall title at the National Cupcake Championships, which are staged by British Baker magazine in the run-up to National Cupcake Week (12-18 September).At the judging event, which took place at the ICA overlooking The Mall in London, Jennifer, from Carmarthenshire in Wales, won Best Free-from of the Year Cupcake, Best Tasting Cupcake of the Year and also took the National Cupcake Champion title for her delicious, summery Lime and Coconut creation.“I’ve always loved cakes. I’m a vegetarian and I have an allergy to dairy,” says Jennifer. “So I was determined to make a vegan cupcake that tasted just as good as any other. Absolute Treats is home-based at the moment, but we supply some outlets across the West Wales area, and we are Vegan Society-approved.”Jennifer – pictured left with celebrated cake-maker Peggy Porschen – beat off stiff competition from 55 innovative craft bakeries, independent cake emporiums and high street multiples who were battling it out across six different categories for the ultimate prize – to be crowned National Cupcake Champion 2011.They included the high street favourite Greggs; the 2009 champion Kevin Sibley from Mama’s Cupcakes in Cheshunt; and Rich Products, which creates cupcakes for Asda.Commenting on Jennifer’s triumphant win, British Baker deputy editor Andrew Williams said: “Jennifer’s cake was probably the least assuming cupcake on show, with understated decoration, but it was head and shoulders above the rest on the most important criterion: taste. Her victory is all the more remarkable given that it’s a vegan cake, using no butter or eggs.”The 2011 competition attracted more than 100 entries from professional bakers. The category winners of the 2011 National Cupcake Championships are:Best Decorated Cupcake (sponsored by Renshaw) – Rosalind Miller, Peggy’s Cupcakes, LondonBest Free From Cupcake – Jennifer Buls, Absolute Treats, St Clears, CamarthenshireBest Presented Cupcake (sponsored by Chevler) – Victoria Forward, Let Them Eat Cake, WaterloovilleMost Innovative Cupcake (sponsored by FDQ) – Rufaro Matsinde, Cocktail Couture – CC Treats, LondonBest Cupcake Crafted for Multiple Outlets – Sean Coughlan, [email protected], Thornton HeathBest Tasting Cupcake (sponsored by Puratos) – Jennifer Buls, Absolute Treats, St Clears, CamarthenshireNational Cupcake Champion – Jennifer Buls, Absolute Treats, St Clear, CamarthenshireNational Cupcake Week 2011 will run from September 12 to 18, when a range of special events and promotions take place in craft and high street bakeries across the nation, alongside a series of special programmes on The Food Network.
Minority advocacy group trying to build trust about COVID-19 vaccine
Twitter (Photo supplied/Indiana State Department of Healtth) The Indiana Minority Health Coalition wants to break down vaccine facts and myths in hopes of boosting trust for the coronavirus vaccine among minorities.A recent Axios-Ipsos poll showed that 29% of Black Americans say they won’t get the vaccine, which is a higher percentage than both white and Hispanic people.Among the minority population there’s a history of trauma and distrust with vaccinations, and the coalition said that U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams will be discussing that during a virtual conference on Tuesday.“To truly promote confidence in these vaccines, we must start by acknowledging this history of mistreatment and exploitation of minorities by the medical community and the government,” said Adams.He got his first dose of the vaccine last week. Facebook Google+ Google+ Facebook WhatsApp Pinterest By Network Indiana – December 27, 2020 0 290 CoronavirusIndianaLocalMichiganNews Twitter Previous articleWarming up for the weekend weatherNext articleSearch ongoing for South Bend shooting suspect Network Indiana Pinterest Minority advocacy group trying to build trust about COVID-19 vaccine WhatsApp
Stock+Field Stores Appear to Avoid Closure
Facebook Pinterest Google+ IndianaLocalNews WhatsApp By Carl Stutsman – March 24, 2021 0 251 Stock+Field Stores Appear to Avoid Closure WhatsApp Previous articleHolcomb: All Hoosiers 16+ eligible for vaccine on March 31; eases restrictionsNext articleMichiana’s only emergency vet to end after hours services Carl Stutsman Facebook (Photo supplied/Stock + Field) Stock+Field has been acquired by a new owner, and they say most of their stores will remain open. R.P. Acquisition Corp. a subsidiary of R.P. Lumber Co announced that they will be purchasing all the assets of the Stock+Field stores and open operations under new management start April 1st.In a statement from R.P. chairman Robert Plummer he says their focus is “keeping Stock+Field stores open and serving the many communities they have served for years”. The move will save about 1,000 jobs.Locally, Stock+Field has two stores in Elkhart and one each in Warsaw and Michigan City. Google+ Twitter Pinterest Twitter
News story: Social housing green paper: a ‘new deal’ for social housing
Please use this number if you are a journalist wishing to speak to Press Office 0303 444 1209 Social media – MHCLG Secretary of State for Communities, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, said: General enquiries: please use this number if you are a member of the public 030 3444 0000 Tackling stigma and celebrating thriving communities Expanding supply and supporting home ownership Effective resolution of complaints Empowering residents and strengthening the regulator Ensuring homes are safe and decent Office address and general enquiries 2 Marsham StreetLondonSW1P 4DF Contact form https://forms.communit… If your enquiry is related to COVID-19 please check our guidance page first before you contact us – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-local-government.If you still need to contact us please use the contact form above to get in touch, because of coronavirus (COVID-19). If you send it by post it will not receive a reply within normal timescale. Providing quality and fair social housing is a priority for this government. Our green paper offers a landmark opportunity for major reform to improve fairness, quality and safety to residents living in social housing across the country. Regardless of whether you own your home or rent in the social sector, residents deserve security, dignity and the opportunities to build a better life. Media enquiries Email [email protected] With 4 million households living in social housing and this projected to rise annually, it’s crucial that we tackle the issues facing both residents and landlords in social housing.Tackling stigma and celebrating thriving communities“I am made to feel less of a person than the person that has bought their house.”The green paper aims to break down inequalities in social housing and ensure tenants feel at home in their community rather than seeing it as just a place to live.The design and quality of homes and their surrounding area are at the heart of this paper, which will highlight the importance of good design ideas in newly built social housing. Rewarding the best neighbourhoods, for example, by funding events like street parties could ensure community pride is both encouraged and celebrated.Expanding supply and supporting home ownership“[There is] not enough social housing being built, where will my children live? They cannot afford a mortgage and private renting is too expensive with no security.”In line with our commitment to deliver 300,000 homes per year by the mid-2020s, we’re putting in place processes to support the building of more social housing.The paper outlines plans to build on the new borrowing capacity granted to local authorities by exploring new flexibilities on how they spend the money from homes sold under the Right to Buy scheme, and not requiring them to sell off vacant, higher value stock.We’re also building on partnerships with housing associations to boost the supply of new affordable homes by considering the benefits of providing funding certainty to some housing associations over a longer period. We are looking at reforms to help people using affordable home ownership schemes – like shared ownership – to build up more equity in their homes.Effective resolution of complaints“The complaints process is opaque, inaccurate and chaotic with too many stages and little clarity on the roles and responsibilities of those involved.”We want residents to have a stronger voice to influence decisions and challenge their landlord to improve living standards.The paper asks how the current complaints process can be reformed so that it is quicker and easier; especially important when dealing with safety concerns. The consultation asks how residents can access the right advice to make a complaint and have it resolved quickly and effectively.Empower residents and strengthen the regulator“Their performance needs to be monitored by an independent authority so there is help when they don’t do these things.”Delivering good quality and safe social homes with the right services from landlords relies on a robust regulatory framework. It has been almost eight years since the last review of social housing regulation and the proposals in this green paper present the opportunity for a fresh look at the regulatory framework.Alongside this, we are launching a call for evidence which seeks views on how the current regulatory framework is operating. This, along with questions about regulation in the green paper, will inform what changes are needed to deliver regulation that is fit for purpose.Ensuring homes are safe and decent“Fire safety concerns me most because a lot of young families reside in these blocks. This can be improved by educating residents.”In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy we took immediate steps to ensure residents safety. Remediation work to make buildings safe began and the Government set aside £400 million to cover the costs of this across the social housing sector. We also commissioned Dame Judith Hackitt to carry out an independent review of building regulations and fire safety. The review’s final report called for fundamental reform and we are committed to bringing forward legislation that delivers an overhaul of the system and gives residents a much stronger voice in an improved system of fire safety.Progress has also been made on improving standards of decency. The green paper will consider how the Decent Homes Standard should be reviewed to ensure it delivers the right standards for social housing residents and reflects the Government’s current and forthcoming priorities. The social housing green paper – published today (14 August 2018) – aims to rebalance the relationship between residents and landlords, tackle stigma and ensure that social housing can be both a stable base that supports people when they need it and support social mobility.Residents across the country were asked for their views on social housing; almost 1,000 tenants shared their views with ministers at 14 events across the country, with over 7,000 submitting their opinions, issues and concerns online.The consultation launched today, with this green paper, gives everyone the opportunity to submit views on proposals for the future of social housing and will run until 6 November 2018.The green paper sets out 5 core themes: Twitter – https://twitter.com/mhclgFlickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/mhclgLinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/company/mhclg