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Here you'll find the latest news and developments from Country Style Foods!
Leeds Bakeries Join Forces
Two of Yorkshire's best known bakeries are to join forces following the acquisition
of Ainsleys of Leeds by Country Style Foods.
Between them Ainsleys and Country Style enjoy 122 years of craft baking experience.
Country Style has acquired the trading name and Ainsleys' 45,000 sq. ft. bakery. Country Style is enthusiastic about the possibility of developing the bakery to meet
the demands of its own business.
Joe Wood, Managing Director of Country Style says, "My dad has always admired
Martyn Ainsley's achievements and we see this as an opportunity to take Ainsleys
products wider afield."
James Ainsley, General Manager of Ainsleys, is to join Country Style. James has
extensive experience of the multiple retailers gained whilst working at Waitrose and
M&S.
The majority of Ainsleys shops have been acquired by Cooplands of Scarborough,
Cooplands of Doncaster and other parties.
www.ainsleys.co.uk
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Country Style Foods win Own Label Excellence Award 2009
This year two products manufactured by Country Style were picked out as finalists for The Grocer Own Label Excellence Awards. The Best Frozen Food in the sweet category went to the Co-Op's 'Truly Irresistable Berry Bliss' and the Asda Carrot and Pumpkin Seed Loaf was marked out as a finalist in the Bakery Savoury category.
Entries for these awards are scored by consumer panels all over the country and a shortlist reaches the second round of judging. Here prestigious figures from the food industry including Masterchef's Gregg Wallace select the category winners.
Score sheets for Truly Irresistable Berry Bliss reveal that Consumer panels could not praise this dessert highly enough and considered it to be "gorgeous" "Indulgent" and "Absolutely heavenly".
Our Carrot & Pumpkin Seed Loaf was described as really exceptional and the judges comments show that this bread is not only considered to be unusual but also fitted in with a health conscious choice.
These awards allow a select few products on the market to be distinguished by the Own Label Excellence logo as a connoisseurs choice.
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A delicious recipe idea for Country Style soft finger rolls
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California Raisin Bread Competition 2009
Country Style Foods reach the finals with its highly commended California Raisin Wholegrain Bloomer.
We have always appreciated the properties of raisins as a wonderful ingredient to use in bakery products. They are a natural sweetener and preservative and improve the moisture of the dough.
After developing several versions of raisin bread we arrived at a wholegrain bloomer with a slightly sourdough levain which was fit to contend a prize for "the most amazing raisin bread in the land".
The bread is hand crafted in a traditional artisan process; after mixing, the dough is rested and allowed to ferment naturally in a cool place. After 12 hours the full flavours have been allowed to develop and the dough is gently moulded into bloomer, proved for another 2 hours and baked on the sole of a stone oven.
The California Raisin wholegrain bloomer can be enjoyed on its own or as part of a meal at any time of day.
It is a naturally healthy eating bread with no added sugar or flavours and is 99% fat free.
It stays fresh for up to a week and is probably at its best after two or three days.
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Yorkshire in Bloom
This year Country Style is delighted to receive a Gold Rose Award in the
Business Premises Category of Yorkshire in Bloom.
Our gardener, Nigel Worsnop has been working
towards this top award for 4 years and we have been rewarded with some
wonderful comments from the judges; "The judges were treated to a riot of colour... One cannot help but feel it
has a positive impact on the company and its employees".
Christine Wood is well aware of the increasing standards of this competition
and she has encouraged Nigel to become ever more ambitious with his
planting.
This year we also received a commendation for the many bird boxes
we have sited around the factory, promoting a healthy bird population in the
middle of manufacturing Leeds.
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Proud sponsors of North East Leeds under 10s football team
Country Style are proud to be sponsors of the North East Leeds under 10s football team which plays in the highly successful Charles Rice Junior League.
Country Style became involved through Mr John Hughes who has for many years managed our doughnut production line in Leeds. John's son Nathaniel is an enthusiastic member of the team and is reuputedly fuelled by our extra delicious, extra goal-scoring extra jammy doughnuts.
For more information about the team go to: www.nelfc.co.uk
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Wallace & Gromit - A Matter of Loaf and Death
A Matter of Loaf and Death is Wallace & Gromit's latest adventure, in which they start a new bakery business. It was watched by the most viewers of any programme on Christmas Day and secured the largest Christmas Day audience in five years.
The National Association of Master Bakers, which Country Style is proud to be a member of, provided technical assistance and bakery expertise to the production and filming teams. In return for that help, the NAMB has been able to secure on behalf of its members the License to be the sole supplier for edible discs for Wallace & Gromit cakes.
Country Style is producing a range of Wallace & Gromit cakes and cupcakes bearing images of the much loved duo in a number of bakery scenes. Our cupcakes are made with luxury white icing and frosted with butter cream - to share with your friends or to treat yourself.
Visit Wallace & Gromit at: www.wallaceandgromit.com
Wallace & Gromit images © and TM Aardman /W&G Ltd 2008. All rights reserved
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Country Style Foods win a Good Egg Award
We are proud to be a winner of this year's Good Egg Awards. The Awards are held each year to celebrate companies ditching the battery cage egg in favour of eggs from free-range or barn kept hens.
Here is John Wood collecting the Award from Joanna Lumley.
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Commitment to Training
Our North East sites work closely with Middlesborough College who deliver bespoke training via NVQ level 2 in Food and Drink which covers Food Safety alongside Health and Safety.
Pictured is the Factory Manager presenting certificates to some of the staff on the Peterlee site.
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"A-Rating" for Country Style's Peterlee Factory
Country Style are delighted to announce that its Peterlee doughnut factory has reached the equivalent British Retail Consortium approval via our EFSIS Certification. The site has received a top rating from the European Food Standard Inspection Service. This level demands rigorous quality control measures to a bench mark standard.
EFSIS auditors carried out a detailed audit of the doughnut production facility and have awarded it an 'A-Rated' accreditation certificate, the highest possible.
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National Doughnut Week
Country Style are proud to be suppoting this year's National Doughnut Week, which runs from 10th to the 17th May.
As part of our support, we will be making a donation to The Children's Trust.
Since the first National Doughnut Week took place more than £575,000 has been raised for charities by bakeries across the UK.
Visit The Children's Trust at www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk
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Taste of London
At the Taste of London show this year Country Style director Christine Wood
met with some of the capital's top chefs to discuss puddings and deserts.
Antony Worrall Thompson presented his Mango Fool at the show and, having a
particular interest in puddings with a british twist, was very interested in
Christine's Eton Mess which is currently on sale in freezer cabinets at
Waitrose.
Marcus Wareing is the chef behind Petrus and Savoy Grill. Like Christine,
Marcus adds plenty of quality Spanish sherry to his trifles.
At The Critz, a teashop staffed entirely by restaurant and food critics,
visitors had the opportunity to taste a variety of cakes and biscuits cooked
by the nation's food critics. Toby Young, who writes a weekly restaurant
column for the Evening Standard, was pleased to hear that his home-baked
chocolate brownies met the standards of Christine's bite-size mini brownies
which are available in Tesco.
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Pick and Mix Rolls
These delicious rolls are baked daily, so you can enjoy them fresh from the oven!
When the weather's nice none of us feel like making elaborate meals in a hot kitchen. Thankfully, Country Style have a range of absolutely delicious rolls, baked daily. They make the easiest accompaniments to barbecues and salads. And they're excellent value for money too. In fact, your only problem might be deciding which rolls to choose!
There's such a huge range: panini, French white rolls, white or brown rustic rolls, harvester or white ploughman's rolls, cheese & onion rolls, knotted poppy seed rolls, organic petit pain, ciabatta, tomato & basil rustic rolls and sunflower seed rolls. As you can see, there's a delicious roll for every occasion.
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Quality Foods & Drink Awards
Country Style's Semolina, Fennel and Raisin Ring was awarded a commended
prize at the Quality Foods & Drink Awards judged by a panel of around 50
chefs, food development specialists, foods writers, home economists and
restaurateurs.
Deemed a "great idea with the flavours working well together" by the panel,
the ring shape was also praised by the judges who felt that it offered the
entry a point of difference. One judge said the bread would be great toasted
with jam and cream.
Please contact us if you'd like to know more about this product, and our other speciality breads.
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Christine Wood meets Celebrity Chef Gary Rhodes
Country Style director Christine Wood and Gary Rhodes compared their recipes
for Yorkshire Egg Custards at the Taste of London show.
Gary prefers to serve his tarts with
nutmeg ice cream whereas Christine's version involves a light sprinkling of
the spice over the tarts before they are placed in the oven.
Gary's tarts
are on the deserts menu at his Rhodes 24 restaurant in the City of London.
Christine's tarts are available from quality retailers nationwide. You can
decide which taste better!
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Trophees Europain
Country Style's automatic bake-off system was awarded one of the exhibition Trophees for innovation at Europain in Paris.
The system allows retailers to offer freshly baked bread and rolls for sale around the clock whilst filling stores with a great aroma. The fully automatic oven means that little or no labour is required.
Please contact us if you'd like to know more about our automatic bake-off system.
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Organics - an exciting new product range from Country Style
Country Style's range of organic breads are a healthy choice which is flavourful and well-balanced. Click here to find out more.
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Leeds In Bloom Award
Country Style were very proud to receive first prize in the Leeds in Bloom Spring Awards.
Seen here collecting the prize from the Mayor of Leeds are Christine Wood and Joe Wood.
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Recruitment
Our new recruitment section is now online - click here to view the positions currently available at Country Style.
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